Udofed DW News Interview

DW News is a global news TV program broadcast by German public state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

UDOFED-DW NEWS INTERVIEW TEXT

QUESTION: Can you give us information about your initiative to register "doner" as a traditional product of Turkey in the European Union? ("traditional feature warranty" / TSG) - Can you give information about the reason and purpose of doing this? Why does döner need special trademark protection?

ANSWER: First of all, I would like to point out this; This process started with the establishment of the International Doner Federation, a global non-governmental organization in the Doner sector for the first time. Prioritizing food safety and public health, and awareness of historical and cultural responsibility have created a road map for us, leading to the registration of doner kebab in the EU commission. Based on this, it is necessary to briefly mention;
In 2019, we held an academic workshop on Döner with universities, non-governmental organizations, and relevant institutions.

We registered our doner kebab in Turkey´s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage. Our team (UNESCO) continues its work to register it in the world intangible heritage list.
In 2021, DÖNER was registered as a traditional product name by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.

And the point we have reached today is that, as a result of our application, our traditional product name DÖNER was registered by the EU commission on 24.04.2024. Of course, if there is no objection after the 3-month suspension period, this registration will become final.

Approximately 500 million people around the world consume DÖNER every day. For us, the most silent and insidious terrorism in the world is food terrorism. As I mentioned at the beginning, as UDOFED, we have become a non-governmental organization that prioritizes and cares about food safety and public health over all kinds of commercial interests. In this regard, we are working to solve the problems that exist in the sector by protecting our traditional taste, DONER, against imitation, adulteration and fraud.

QUESTION: You have set detailed standards for the preparation of doner - can you give us more information about these standards, what are these standards?

ANSWER: In fact, döner kebab is traditionally prepared and cooked with the same technique past to present. The standards were determined centuries ago, we just innovated it by preserving the physical and chemical form of the traditional flavor in today´s world and registered it under the name DÖNER.

QUESTION: Why should doner be standardized? What kind of problems are there currently in the preparation of doner kebab in the EU?

ANSWER: As follows; It is much easier to control and maintain a product that has a certain standard. Food terrorism threatens public health, especially future generations, not only in the EU but all over the world. As UDOFED, we want to raise more awareness in society about food and for non-governmental organizations to take a more active role in the control mechanism.

QUESTION: What is the difference between the doner kebab sold in Turkey and the doner kebab sold in Germany?

ANSWER: The story of Germany and Europe meeting Döner started with the migration of Turkish workers in the past. Today, DÖNER has become a symbol of cultural integration between Germany and Turkey. People may have to integrate into the society they migrate to in order to make their lives easier. This may have led to the change of the traditional flavor form in doner. Another issue is the presentation of doner; We do not request standardization in this regard.

QUESTION: If your trademark registration is successful, what will no longer be accepted as doner?

ANSWER: As UDOFED, we hope that it will be referred to as a traditional product by complying with all processes related to DONER production. We continue all our work in this direction.

With this registration, what will happen to doner producers in Germany and other EU countries that do not comply with these standards?

ANSWER: Yes, I think you are trying to pressure me a little. Frankly, we expect the businesses producing under the name of DÖNER in Germany to be sensitive about complying with the standards we have determined. We expect support NGOs and producers operating in all Europe, especially in Germany, for DÖNERE, our traditional flavor, whose homeland is TURKEY.

QUESTION :
ANSWER: As UDOFED, we will bring a global identity to the traditional product name DÖNER for Turkey and Turkish producers. Joining forces under the umbrella of UDOFED will provide the greatest benefit in order to protect the quality and standards of our national value, döner, which we see as our common denominator.

QUESTION: Döner will be the first Turkish product to be registered (TSG) in this field - how important is this?

ANSWER: Yes, it is extremely important because; With the registration of doner in our country´s name, export demands to its homeland will increase and Türkiye will be the winner. The most consumed fast-food product all over the world is DÖNER.

However, there is no global brand named Döner, the reason is the disorganization and lack of control in the sector. Registration by the EU will be a start for us and Döner will become a world brand. Unsuitable production facilities and sales points will be made suitable. The number of auditable production facilities and sales points that prioritize public health and food safety will increase. On a global scale, all dynamics of the sector will interact more and brand value and market share will increase. Together with its doner sub-industry, it alone provides employment all over the world. More people will be employed with sustainable and developable business models.

In short; We are of the opinion that work done with an understanding that has established standards, complies with food safety and cares about public health will primarily benefit our country and nation.