Turkey Withdraws Proposal for Doner Kebab Regulations in Europe

Fri Oct 10 2025 19:26:43 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Turkey has officially abandoned its efforts to impose strict production guidelines for doner kebabs on European Union countries, a move that would have significantly impacted the German kebab industry.

In a significant development, Turkey has retracted its bid to establish strict rules regarding the production of doner kebabs in the EU. This proposal sought to enforce stringent ingredient guidelines under a 'Traditional Speciality Guaranteed' label, which would have majorly affected the evolution of doner kebabs in Germany. The withdrawal follows pushback from German officials and industry stakeholders, who argued that their version of the dish is now an integral part of their own culinary heritage.

A Turkish attempt to force kebab shops in the EU to adhere to strict rules on how to make a doner kebab has been withdrawn.

If the bid for a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed label had succeeded, restrictions would have been imposed on the types of ingredients that could be used.

Germany's kebab industry would have been particularly skewered, as the quintessential high street doner has evolved over the decades to be rather different than the original from Turkey.

Turkish authorities argued the doner should be viewed as a national dish that spread to Europe through the migration of Turks. But German officials said its take on the kebab had become part of its own national cuisine.

The traditional way of cooking meat on a vertical rotisserie goes back to the 16th Century, according to Turkey's International Doner Federation (Udofed). It asked the EU to impose uniform rules across the bloc requiring strict specifications including which types of meat could be used and how it should be sliced.

The German variant often uses veal and a array of vegetables, which diverges significantly from the strict Turkish recipes.

The Turkish federation ultimately withdrew its bid following objections from the German industry, which asserted their autonomy in determining how kebabs are prepared and served. The German food/ministry had expressed astonishment at Turkey's attempt to impose these guidelines.

Had Turkey moved forward with its proposal, the changes could have upended a market that employs thousands and generates billions in revenue.

The Turkish federation's decision comes in the wake of substantial pushback and an inability to find acceptable compromises with German stakeholders and EU officials.