Turkey withdraws bid for EU protection of döner kebab

The döner kebab has officially dropped out of the Brussels policy arena after Turkey withdrew its application to have the dish recognised under the EU’s Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) scheme.

“The application for the registration of ‘Döner’ as a TSG (Traditional Specialities Guaranteed) was withdrawn by the applicant on 23 September 2025,” a European Commission spokesperson confirmed to Euractiv. The withdrawal automatically halts the authorisation procedure.

The TSG label protects recipes and production methods. Turkey submitted its bid in 2022, outlining strict preparation rules – from the thickness of the meat slices to the length of marination – to safeguard the authenticity of the döner.

However, the proposal ran into resistance from several EU member states, most notably Germany and Austria. Months of bilateral talks ended without agreement, with opponents arguing that codifying the recipe risked clashing with Europe’s varied döner traditions.

The debate struck a particular chord in Germany, where döner is not only a staple of daily life but also carries cultural weight.

The dish has even become a flashpoint in labour relations. In August, workers at Birtat – the country’s largest kebab meat producer – staged strikes over pay and conditions, reaching the first-ever collective bargaining agreement in the sector, a move hailed as a milestone for Germany’s kebab industry.

(adm, aw)