Turkish Parliament Bans Products Allegedly Supporting Israel In Restaurants To Cafes

Illustration of the Turkish Parliament. (Wikimedia Commons/VOA/Ymen's

JAKARTA - The Turkish Parliament has banned products related to companies suspected of supporting Israel from its restaurants, amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

"Products for companies supporting Israel will not be sold in restaurants, monasteries and tea shops in parliament," the Turkish National Assembly (Parliament) said, without naming the company or the product in question.

He added that Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus made the decision to "support public sensitivity regarding the boycott of corporate products allegedly expressing their support for war crimes (and) the killing of innocent people committed by Israel in Gaza".

A source in parliament said the Coca-Cola drink and Nestle instant coffee were brands removed from the parliamentary menu, adding the decision was meant to respond to "the public's great outrage against these companies" for supporting Israel.

Neither parliamentary nor source statements detailed how Coca-Cola and Nestle supported Israel's war efforts.

Last month, Nestle said it was temporarily closing one of its production plants in Israel, as a "preventive measure" and becoming the first consumer product giant to announce a response to the war.

Turkish activists have in recent days mentioned the two companies, in posts on social media calling for a boycott of Israeli goods and Western companies they view as supporting Israel.

It is known that this Turkish Parliament move is the first step taken by the government or a large organization targeting global major brands, after a month-long war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Over the past month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his administration have sharply criticized Israel's attacks on Gaza and Western support for Jerusalem.

As of Tuesday, the death toll from Israeli airstrikes against the Gaza Strip has reached 10,328, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, as quoted by Anadolu.

Among the dead, there were 4,237 children and 2,719 women, Gaza-based Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said at a news conference.

Meanwhile, more than 25,956 other people were also injured as a result of Israeli forces' attacks on Gaza, he added.

In addition, al-Qudra also urged the United Nations and the International Red Cross Committee to protect health facilities and ambulances from Israeli attacks.