Turkey abandons the food struggle to force Donner’s rules for kebab in Europe

The Turkish attempt to force kebab stores in the EU to adhere to strict rules on how to make a donut kebab has been drawn.

If the “traditional specialty” label offer was successful, the restrictions will be imposed on the types of ingredients that can be used.

The German kebab industry would be particularly distorted, as the most important Donner on the high street has been developing over the decades to be much different than the original from Turkey.

Turkish authorities say the donor should be considered a national dish that is distributed in Europe through the migration of the Turks. But German officials said the taking of Kebap became part of his own national cuisine.

The traditional way of cooking vertical rothic meat returns to the 16th century, according to the International Donor Federation of Turkey (Udofed), and the name Doner is associated with this cooking technique.

He asked the EU to impose the same rules in the block requiring this:

• Meat will come from a cow over the age of 16 months, lamb at least six months old, or chicken hips and chest
• veal and turkey meat will be prohibited
• The meat should be cut to a thickness of 3-5 mm
• The knife type will be regulated and the marinades will also be subject to rules

The German version of kebab often uses veal in flat bread full of vegetables, including red cabbage, pickles, red onions and garnished with sauces – and so can be seen as a European absorption of the Turkish classics.

The Turkish Federation failed to consult the Kebab industry in Germany, which withdrew with the support of the Berlin government.

The German Ministry of Food and Agriculture told the BBC last year that it had taken into account the Turkish offer “With some astonishment”.

Former German Food and Agriculture Minister Ceim Ezdemir, a Turkish -born veteran politician, said he had to decide how Donner should be eaten in his country and that there is no need for Ankara guidance.

“Doner belongs to Germany,” he insisted.

If Udofed had followed with its offer, then the European industry, dominated by the Turkish diaspora, would be affected.

In Germany alone, there are more than 1.5 million Turkish citizens and almost as much Turkish origin.

About 60,000 people have been hired in the industry, producing about 400 tonnes of kebab per day, according to the Donnie Turkish Producers Association (Atdid).

The annual sales of kebabs generate about 3.5 billion euros (€ 3 billion) across Europe, including € 2.4 billion alone in Germany, the statement said.

The Turkish Federation told the European Commission that it had withdrawn its offer on September 23.

His application had attracted a large number of objections.

The attempt to find a compromise failed. An EU employee told the BBC Turkish that the offer is ahead of rejection anyway.