Is Doner Kebab German or Turkish?
Spoiler Alert: I Won’t Be Settling the Debate Here
Firstly, I would like to welcome myself back to this blog. I have been quiet for years because, as it always does, life got in the way.
A few minutes ago, however, I came across a fantastic news headline from the BBC that made me want to unpause my Medium hiatus.
Essentially, Turkiye wants to trademark ‘Doner Kebab’ and Germany will, as a result, not be able to sell their versions of the traditional Turkish doner under that name.
The last time I had a doner, it was from a place called GDK, which stands for German Doner Kebab. When I was younger, I would wonder why doner kebabs were so popular in Germany, especially as they are Turkish and Turkiye isn’t even allowed to be a member of the EU. So, what is driving this popularity? Of course, it’s the Turkish immigrants in Germany. One of the most famous ones is Turkish singer Tarkan who was born and raised in Alzey, formerly of West Germany. Turkiye is also the country most immigrants in Germany originate from, followed by Ukraine and Syria. Naturally, immigrant influence will seep through German cuisine and German food preferences. With generations of Turks having been present in Germany, the Doner Kebab is now virtually a staple in the German diet. Maybe that’s a stretch. Germans love their Doners; perhaps that’s a more accurate representation of it.
The Turkish move could just be powerplay. Turkiye’s influence across geographies has been on the rise. It has been playing a crucial role in mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine, as a NATO member that still has an open dialogue with President Putin, and as a partner of BRICS, serving as a link between the West and the Global South. But it still has not been given the go-ahead for membership with the EU. There is a longstanding frustration with the EU, with Europeans, and with the Western world. Is that what is behind this move to trademark Doner Kebab; to establish its own identity across boundaries?
What I found interesting in this whole affair was the fact that the German statement went on to say that the Doner Kebab- created by two Turkish guest workers in 1970s Germany- is part of Germany’s diversity and should be celebrated and preserved.
Meanwhile, not many weeks ago, the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party gained popularity and many votes in the last round of regional elections. Meaning that anti-immigrant voices are getting louder.
In other words- the right-wing, anti-immigrant inclination of Germany runs in tandem with its love for Doner Kebab, an immigrant produce.
The Turkish aim is probably not for Turkish self-identification in Europe or Germany. For the thousands of shops that sell Doner Kebabs, the acceptance of such an appeal is likely to be cumbersome more than anything else. But just to annoy the right-wing movement, I would actually like to see this happening.
If the contemporary Doner Kebab was invented by Turks in Germany, it makes the dish German. But surely that should also mean that those who live and work in Germany and add to the German economy should be classed as German without follow-up racism?
While we’re at it, let’s reassess other dishes as well. Chicken Tikka Masala was invented by cooks of South Asian origin in the UK. If this is enough to make the dish British, then why is it not enough for the people to be classed as British without racism? Why did we see the ridiculous riots across the country?
Whatever Turkey’s aim behind this, I hope it makes people realise just how closely intertwined immigrant lives are with those of ‘natives’, and that racism and differentiation are not the answer in a modern world. If you want the Doners and the shawarmas and the curries of the world, you need to earn your right for it. It doesn’t mean opening all borders with no limits and causing chaos. It just means behaving in a humane fashion. But that, too, has been a challenge for the world lately.
