The Return of Döner
hurriyetdailynews.comdöner” kebab keeps coming up again and again. Döner must be one of the most well-known tastes of Turkish cuisine, spread all around the world, sometimes disguised under different names.
This time, German President Steinmeier tried to make a gastro diplomacy move by bringing 60 kilos of döner during his visit to Türkiye, but together with the huge meatloaf, that bona fide attempt brought many controversies along.
While some circles were inclined to perceive this as a gesture of friendship displayed through gastronomy, there were others who remained skeptical, raising an eyebrow and accusing the German side of having an orientalist approach.
One of the most humorous comments came from political scientist-journalist Sezin Öney (yes, happens to be my dear young sister) on the situation: “Bringing döner and döner masters from Germany was such subtle diplomacy that it was not understood.
