The correspondents’ club goes to Turkey and Malaysia where, in support of the Palestinians, consumers are asked to shun brands deemed to be too supportive of Israel.
Since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7, certain countries have observed waves of boycotts of brands and stores deemed too close to Israel. The correspondents’ club goes to Turkey – one of the countries most at the forefront in denouncing the massacres committed in Gaza by the Israeli army – and to Malaysia, in South-East Asia, a country with a Muslim majority, which has always historically supported the Palestinians and which maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Starbusks and McDonalds targeted in Turkey
There is the classic boycott of Israeli or American products, the United States being seen as unwavering supporters of the Jewish state. It began at the end of October with the decision of Turkish railways to withdraw all Starbucks products from sale on high-speed lines, in response to lawsuits filed in the United States against a union of the group after a pro-Palestinian tweet. . Then, on November 6, Parliament removed Coca-Cola and Nestlé products from its restaurants. A decision which did not create political controversy because all parties support the Palestinian cause and accuse Israel of massacres in Gaza.
Many municipalities, often led by the AKP, the president’s party, have announced similar boycotts and their activists are organizing “sit ins” in different cafes or restaurants brandishing Palestinian flags. Several Starbucks cafes and McDonalds were vandalized in Ankara, Istanbul, Adana and Diyarbakir, in the east of the country. At the beginning of the month, the youngest son of the Turkish president, Bilal Erdogan, had also established a gradation in the boycotts, first companies which openly support Israel, then those which do not condemn Israel and finally those which do not support not the Palestinian cause.
On another level, universities, including the very renowned Bogazici University in Istanbul, have also put an end to all academic collaboration with Israeli institutions and Israeli researchers, who “have chosen to remain silent or who support Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians until a lasting ceasefire is established”. These explanations appear in a press release published in Turkish, English and Arabic. Finally in Istanbul, municipalities controlled by the AKP chose this weekend to use the Turkish Troy payment system rather than international systems linked to the United States.
This boycott mainly comes from institutions or the ruling party, the AKP, but Turks continue to frequent the targeted stores. Again this weekend, a Starbucks café targeted in Istanbul was crowded. The population deeply sympathizes with the Palestinian cause but does not really support the boycott. Moreover, the government also remains pragmatic. Thus Turkey did not respond to Iran’s call at the beginning of the month to cease all oil trade with Israel and to sever diplomatic relations. Ankara has recalled its ambassador but is careful not to cut ties. President Erdogan still wants to be a key player in resolving the conflict.
In Malaysia, the targeted brands suffer from a drop in customers
On social networks, there are numerous calls for boycotts of various products and channels within civil society. And even some influencers known to Malaysians have spoken openly for several weeks to call “not to let go”. This is the case of Vivy Yusof, an entrepreneur known in the country. She published a video on her Instagram account highlighting, for example, the possibility of freeing oneself in daily life from restaurant chains deemed too close to Israel. “We are not without hope, there are so many of us. Keep praying, donating, talking about it, posting, boycotting. Today I wanted to buy a pizza, instead of getting one from a well-known chain, I bought a pizza from a local brand… We can do it, friends. Free Palestine!”
In addition to influencers, this boycott seems to be followed by many Malaysians. In a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall, many explained that they saw the boycott as a way to show support for the Palestinian people. “The least I can do, other than pray and donate, is just boycott brands… In the hope that it will send a message to them that we do not condone this violence and oppression. And even if It doesn’t have much repercussions, at least my money is not stolen with the blood of these civilian and innocent Palestinians.” detailed Amanda, a Malaysian Muslim.
The extent of this boycott is difficult to quantify, because the brands concerned, many of which are American, have not communicated on the potential losses of this boycott in Malaysia. McDonalds Malaysia released a statement on the situation, testifying to the reality of the movement. Some brands have been forced to reduce the working hours of certain employees. Various Malaysian employees of the brands targeted by the boycott spoke out on the networks, alarmed by a drop in customers, recalling that they are mostly Malaysian Muslims, and also affected by this movement. In Malaysia, other boycotts of brands deemed too close to Israel have already taken place in the past.