Turkish parliament removes brands from menu over alleged Israel support
Turkey’s parliament has removed Coca Cola and Nestle products from its restaurants over their alleged support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, according to a parliament statement and a source who named the two companies.
The two companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“It was decided that the products of companies that support Israel will not be sold in restaurants, cafeterias and tea houses in the parliament campus,” said the statement, which said the decision had been taken by parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus and did not identify the companies.
A parliamentary source said Coca-Cola beverages and Nestle instant coffee were the only brands removed from the menu.
The source said the decision was taken in response to public demand.
“The parliament speaker’s office did not remain indifferent to the public outcry and decided to remove products of these companies from the menu of cafes and restaurants in parliament,” the source said.
Both companies have been named in social media posts in recent days by Turkish activists calling for a boycott of Israeli goods and Western companies they view as endorsing Israel.
Turkey’s government has sharply criticized Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and Western support for Jerusalem.
Israel has bombarded Gaza since a Hamas raid on southern Israel a month ago, when its fighters killed 1,400 people and seized 240 hostages.
Gaza health officials say Israel’s assault has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, including some 4,100 children.
Hundreds of thousands of Turks have taken to the streets to protest against Israeli operations into Gaza over the past month, as well as protests on social media.
Meanwhile, trade between Israel and Turkey has decreased by 50% since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7, the Turkish trade minister said during an official visit to Kuwait.
“From October 7, we notice that mutual trade [between Turkey and Israel] decreased by more than 50% compared to last year,” Omer Bolat told a news conference via an Arabic translator. [Reuters]
