Calls grow for boycott of Israeli goods in Turkey

Erdinç Çelikkan ANKARA

Israel’s Gaza operation has triggered public protest across Turkey.

Calls are growing for a boycott of Israeli products in Turkey, with a number of professional associations urging consumers to refrain from buying goods from a list of companies prepared following Israel’s recent Gaza operations.

Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK) head Bendevi Palandöken stated that they would ask both supermarkets and small markets not to sell Israeli goods.

“We will make contact [with these markets] about Israeli goods and discuss the issue in today’s meeting. We have decided not to sell goods imported from Israel or produced in Israel,” Palandöken told daily Hürriyet, adding that the confederation was cooperating with chambers and exchange commodities over the issue.

Despite the list of products that may potentially be boycotted circulating on social media earlier this week, including large cleaning, beverage and cosmetics companies, not all of these products are in fact Israeli in origin.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Consumers Union has prepared a list of international brands that it intends to boycott, such as Coca Cola, Nestle, McDonald’s and Starbucks, stating on their website that they will “boycott companies that support the terrorist [state] Israel.”