Kebab remains as it tastes - Turkey withdraws application!

The attempt to regulate German kebabs has failed

Now it's official: the kebab will remain as we know it - with turkey, veal or even just vegetables. Turkey wanted to change that. More precisely: the International Kebab Association (Udofed) had applied to the EU in 2022 to put kebabs on the list of "traditional specialties guaranteed". Sounds harmless, but it would have had a massive impact - especially in Germany.

If Turkey had prevailed with its proposal, many common varieties in this country would simply have been banned. Only meat from cattle aged at least sixteen months or six-month-old sheep - or alternatively chicken - would have been permitted. No veal, no turkey, no more leeway in terms of marinade, thickness of meat slices or preparation time. Uniform rules - regardless of the diversity in the EU.

But now came the U-turn: The application was withdrawn. Why? Apparently, it was already clear that the EU Commission and the member states would hardly show any support for it. Ankara probably wanted to avoid an official rejection.

Germany reacts with relief - kebab remains a piece of culture

In fact, there was massive resistance in this country. The catering industry, meat producers and even the German government objected. The Association of Turkish Kebab Producers in Europe and the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) also spoke out against the proposal. Their concerns: legal uncertainty, economic damage and the end of kebab variety.

Cem Özdemir, then still Minister of Agriculture, put it in a nutshell in 2024: "The kebab belongs to Germany. Everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves how it is prepared and eaten here. There's no need for guidelines from Ankara."

The withdrawal also means that there is no economic damage. In Germany, the kebab is one of the most popular snack dishes, with the industry generating around 2.4 billion euros in turnover per year, compared to 3.5 billion euros across Europe. According to the Association of Turkish Kebab Manufacturers in Europe, 400 tons of kebabs are produced every day.

Why was the application made in the first place? No clear answer

What is particularly irritating is that even the Turkish kebab producers' association in Europe was against the proposal, which was supposedly intended to protect them. And when asked, Udofed could not explain why they wanted to restrict European kebab businesses in this way.

The proposal itself even acknowledged that the kebab variant in flatbread - with sauce, lettuce, onions and tomatoes - had become a symbol of Turkish immigration to Germany. So why this cultural bridge should be restricted by over-regulated rules remains a mystery.

Kebab is also part of Germany

This was not a question of ingredients, but an attack on living food culture. When authorities start standardizing onion rings and sauce mixtures, that's not protecting tradition - it's bureaucratic madness wrapped in tinfoil. It's a good thing that Germany has taken a stand against this. The kebab doesn't just belong to Berlin, Cologne or Munich - it belongs to the street, to everyday life, to freedom of choice. Anyone who wants to regulate this has little understanding of culture.