Concerns rise over ‘Turkish Doner’ in Germany amid EU certification process
German President Frank Walter Steinmeier serves doner to guests at the summer residence of the German Embassy in Tarabya, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 22, 2024. (AA Photo)
The International Doner Federation (UDOFED), based in Istanbul, has applied for “traditional product name” (TGS) certification with the European Union (EU) Council. As the application awaits review and a decision in the coming months, concerns are growing in Germany about potential job losses in the doner industry.
Job loss fears in the doner sector
Germany’s Bild recently published an article titled “Will the EU Ban the German Doner?” In the report, the newspaper highlighted that, despite six months of negotiations between Türkiye and Germany, no agreement had been reached on the matter. The article noted, “This decision will not sit well with millions of German doner fans. The EU Commission is set to decide whether to approve Türkiye’s request to ban the version of doner served in Germany.”
The article went on to emphasize that the doner served in Germany is quite different from the traditional version in Türkiye. As a result, many doner shop owners are already experiencing anxiety about a potential loss of customers. If the current presentation of doner were to be banned, it is estimated that up to 60,000 jobs could be lost across Germany. It is also known that many doner shops in Germany are run by Turks.
Impact on the German doner business
In Germany, doner is typically served with yogurt-based sauce and salad. The country is home to more than 18,000 doner stands, with nearly 1,600 of them located in Berlin alone.
Should the EU’s decision favor Türkiye’s request, the doner industry in Germany could face significant disruption, affecting both small businesses and large-scale operations.
