SAEDNEWS: Turkey Submits Application to Register Doner Kebab with the European Commission in April
According to a report from Saed News, citing Asr Iran, Turkey submitted an application in April to the European Commission seeking protection for döner kebab (Turkish kebab). The request aims to ensure that only producers following officially registered preparation methods can market it under that name.
German producers objected to Turkey’s application at the EU level on July 25, triggering a dispute process that initiated a six-month consultation period on intellectual property issues among EU member states.
A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed that the request was ultimately rejected, although EU executive officials did not formally verify the outcome. Two sources familiar with the matter stated that Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, based in Bonn, submitted the objection, reflecting the position of several German producers rather than an official government stance.
The next phase of the process involves reviewing the objection’s admissibility, followed by facilitated negotiations between Turkey and the opposing parties. Both sides have up to six months to reach an agreement, which must then be reported to the Commission within one month. Regardless of the outcome, the final decision rests with the European Commission.
Turkey had sought a “Traditional Specialty Guaranteed” label similar to protections granted to products like Neapolitan pizza and Spanish Serrano ham. While this designation does not offer the highest level of geographical protection in Europe, it would restrict the use of the “döner” label to producers adhering to specified methods.
Under the proposed standards, beef and lamb slices would need to be cut horizontally to a thickness of 3–5 mm, while chicken slices would need to be 1–2 cm thick in order to qualify as döner kebab.
