"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," Cem Özdemir, Germany's federal food and agriculture minister who also has Turkish roots, wrote on social platform X.

Döner kebab is beloved in Berlin. In Turkey, the dish originally was made of lamb and sold only on a plate. But in the 1970s, Turkish immigrants in Berlin opted to serve it in a pita and tweak the recipe to make it special for Berliners.

Döner, a beloved dish and diplomatic symbol, has become a point of contention as Türkiye urges Germany to honor its traditional origins

Beef and chicken glisten as they rotate slowly on vertical spits before they are carved off in razor-thin strips. Two cooks slide from a sizzling griddle to a warm toaster in a practiced dance. Mounds of fresh tomatoes,

The scene at Kebap With Attitude in Berlin’s trendy Mitte neighborhood is typical of any street-side stand or restaurant where cooks pile the ingredients into pita bread to create the city’s beloved döner kebab.

Turkey wants döner kebabs registered so that it has the same protected EU status as Serrano ham from Spain and Neapolitan pizza.