eHalal Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkish Anchor Meltem Günay Fired Over Starbucks Product Endorsement
Meltem Günay, a news anchor at the Turkish pro-government television station TGRT, faced termination on Sunday following a controversial incident involving a Starbucks coffee cup during her broadcast.
The dismissal came after Turkish viewers expressed outrage, interpreting Günay’s choice of a Starbucks cup as an endorsement of the coffee conglomerate, widely perceived in the Muslim world as having pro-Israel and US affiliations.
In an official statement, TGRT explained that both Günay and the director of the news segment were fired due to what the network termed “inappropriate product placement.” Emphasizing its awareness of Turkish sensitivities regarding Gaza, the network asserted its commitment to supporting these sentiments and clarified that it would not endorse any broadcast to the contrary.
The statement went on to state that the network “strongly condemns the actions” of the anchor and director, announcing the termination of their contracts in response to the viewer backlash.
Starbucks has previously faced boycotts in the Muslim world due to perceived support for Israel in its ongoing conflict with the Palestinian group Hamas. While the coffee company does not have a presence in Israel, its upper management has been associated with Israel, with deep connection to Zionism.