Kahvaltı refers to breakfast in Turkish, and it's an essential and often lavish meal in Turkish culture. The word "kahvaltı" is derived from two words: "kahve" (coffee) and "altı" (under/before), which translates to "before coffee." It's a meal that traditionally happens before coffee is consumed, as in the Ottoman times, coffee was considered a beverage to be enjoyed after meals rather than during or before them.

A type of sweet börek, katmer is a specialty of Gaziantep, or simply Antep – Türkiye's gastronomic capital and a rich melting pot of diverse cultures and cuisines nestled in southeastern Anatolia – an ancient city whose claim to fame is being home to world’s finest pistachios and the delicious Antep baklavası.

Mercimek çorbası is a beloved Turkish soup made with red lentils, chicken stock, onions, and carrots. It is often seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, or paprika. Easy to prepare, filling, and warming, the soup is consumed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in rural parts of Turkey, especially in local eateries known as lokantas.

Sfiha, or lahm bil ajĩn (lit. meat on dough) is an Arabic specialty that dates back to the 15th century, when it first appeared in today's Eastern Lebanon. The traditional open-faced meat pie is popular throughout the Arab region, its main ingredients usually including minced lamb (or lamb), chopped onions and tomatoes, spices, olive oil, and yogurt.

A staple breakfast dish in Turkey, bal kaymak is a delicious combination of kaymak - a traditional dairy product produced from water buffalo milk, very similar to clotted cream - that is generously doused with honey. The dish is served as a spread or a sweet dip alongside tea or a variety of other traditional breakfast dishes and is typically paired with bread.

Börek is a baked dish consisting of a savory or sweet filling wrapped in yufka - thinly stretched sheets of dough made with flour, water, and salt. Heartier than phyllo, but thinner than a tortilla, hand-made yufka is typically brushed with butter before baking.

Gözleme is a Turkish flatbread consisting of flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and yogurt, which prevents the flatbread from going too brittle. The dough is filled with ingredients such as meat, vegetables, eggs, various cheeses, or mushrooms, and is then baked on a sac griddle.

Menemen is a traditional spread consisting of tomatoes, eggs, peppers, and various spices. There are many version of menemen, so it can also contain garlic, cheese, spinach, sausage pieces, or onions (when menemen is served as a main dish). It is usually sold at breakfast or brunch places in Turkey, and most restaurants serve it in metal pans, with a big basket filled with bread as an accompaniment.

Beyran çorbası is a traditional soup originating from Gaziantep, where it's served for breakfast. It consists of rendered lamb fat that's topped with rice and shredded lamb meat. The combination is then cooked with the addition of garlic, pepper paste, and lamb broth.