By Vassili Donn
Published 2 hours ago, updated 2 hours ago
Turkish presenter Meltem Günay, during television news on December 24, 2023. TGRT Haber
Meltem Günay appeared during the television news on December 24th with a cup of the famous American coffee brand. Due to complaints from many viewers, she was fired from the station.
During the presentation of a television news program on December 24, 2023, anchor Meltem Günay appeared on the screen holding a Starbucks-branded cup. Turkish television channel TGRT Haber announced that it had fired both its host and the show's director. This decision follows complaints from the channel's viewers who perceived this awkwardness as an act of pro-Israel provocation on the part of the host.
In a press release, the channel publicly commented on its decision to dismiss its presenter and director: “We do not approve of this action by the presenter and the director, whose employment contract has been terminated, and condemn it in the strongest possible terms.” The Turkish media explained their decision even with “indirect commercial advertising for the company that violates the broadcaster’s rules.” She added that she also wanted to “spare the sensitivity of the people of Gaza and the Turkish people.”
On her website, Haber published a letter of apology from the moderator in which she was “sincerely sorry” and assured that “the sensitivities of (her) state and (her) nation have always been (her) priority.” However, Meltem Günay acknowledged a mistake on his part: “How could I make such a mistake?” and says that he will bear the consequences.
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Starbucks is accused of supporting Israel
This controversy reignites tensions between Starbucks and several Muslim countries, where the American brand is described as “supporting Israel.” At the beginning of December, the Moroccan press announced the withdrawal of the coffee brand from the country, before Starbucks denied this information. This announcement followed the boycott carried out by part of the population since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The origin of the boycott may be traced to previously unfounded rumors about former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, alleging that the businessman had provided financial aid to the Jewish state. According to another unconfirmed theory, the American coffee brand has taken legal action against its employees' union, which had expressed support for the Palestinians since the start of the war. “This is absolutely false,” the company responded in a statement in October, clarifying: “Starbucks is a publicly traded company and as such is required to disclose all corporate donations each year through a proxy statement.”