Newsletters
The European Union (EU) is set to reject Türkiye's application to trademark the traditional doner kebab recipe and restrict the use of the name to Turkish production methods, allowing thousands of kebab shops across Europe to continue operating unchanged, according to EU Commission sources and German media reports.
The Istanbul-based Turkish Doner Producers Association (UDOFED) had sought exclusive rights to the "doner kebab" name through an application for "guaranteed traditional specialty" status, which would have forced European producers to either follow strict Turkish recipes or rename their products.
Germany and Austria's agriculture ministries, along with local doner producers, filed objections against the Turkish application that threatened approximately 18,500 doner shops in Germany alone and tens of thousands more across the EU.
"A formal decision will take some time. But given all known facts, the probability that the Turkish applicant will succeed is close to zero," an EU Commission source familiar with the matter told German newspaper Bild.
The decision represents a significant victory for European kebab vendors who faced having to rename their products to alternatives like "rotating spit" if Türkiye's application had succeeded.
UDOFED's application demanded specific production standards, including
"It would have meant the end of 95% of doner currently sold in Germany," Erdogan Koc, spokesman for the Association of Doner Producers in Germany, told Bild.
While Türkiye fails to protect the doner name, new brands emerge in Germany.
Bavaria's governing Christian Social Union (CSU) party has trademarked "Soder," a play on party leader Markus Soder's name and his frequent photo opportunities with doner kebabs.
The trademark registration puts the German "Soder" brand in direct competition with the traditional Turkish doner, highlighting the cultural adaptation of the dish in European markets.
Products made with turkey meat and different spices will continue to be sold as "Berlin doner" or "German-style doner" throughout the EU.
The variation has become a distinct culinary tradition, separate from the original Turkish recipe.
The EU Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development will propose a draft legal act on the Turkish doner application after coordination with legal services and other directorates.
The final decision rests with the EU Commission through an implementing decision.
UDOFED filed its application years ago seeking to protect what it called the authentic doner kebab recipe.
The association argued that only doner made according to traditional Turkish methods should carry the name.
"The application was an attack on the approximately 18,500 doner shops in Germany," Bild reported, noting the proposal would have fundamentally changed the popular dish as currently served across Europe.
No official announcement has been made, but information from EU Commission sources indicates the application will either be rejected or the case will be closed without a decision in favor of Türkiye.
The outcome allows European doner producers to maintain their current recipes and production methods while continuing to use the "doner kebab" name for their products.
1 min read
1 min read
