Turkey, Germany in 'meaty argument' over doner kebab

BERLIN, Germany — A spicy row has erupted between Turkey and Germany over what constitutes a doner kebab, with Berlin objecting to a Turkish push for protected status for the iconic snack.

The humble doner, made with thinly sliced meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, has its origins in Turkey but is also beloved in Germany after being introduced there by Turkish migrants.

In April, the International Doner Federation (Udofed), based in Turkey, filed an application to the European Commission to grant the doner kebab Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) status.

From the exact meat and spices to the thickness of the knife used to slice the meat, Udofed wants the definition of the doner to adhere to a strict list of criteria.

If successful, the application would bar businesses in the European Union from using the name doner kebab unless it met the criteria, giving it the same protected status as Italy's bufala mozzarella or Spain's Serrano ham.

In its application, Udofed hails the doner's origins during the Ottoman Empire, citing a recipe found in manuscripts dating from 1546.

But that has sparked an uproar in Germany, where the doner has become an emblem of the country's large Turkish community, descended from "guest workers" invited under a massive economic program in the 1960s and 1970s.

The German capital even claims the doner kebab to be "a Berlin invention."

"It happened in Berlin: Legend has it, Kadir Nurman was the first to put the meat in flatbread in 1972 and invented the version of doner that is so beloved in Germany," according to the city's website.

"The doner belongs to Germany. Everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves how it is prepared and eaten here. There is no need for any guidelines from Ankara," said Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, whose parents migrated from Turkey.

Germany's agriculture ministry viewed Turkey's application "with astonishment," a spokesman told AFP.

If this "imprecise" and "contradictory" proposal is accepted by the commission, "the economic consequences for the German gastronomic sector would be enormous," the spokesman said.

The DEHOGA hotel and catering union also warned of a "lack of clarity and