Yet another Starbucks store in Turkey attacked possibly over alleged support for Israel

Duvar English

A group of three shot fire and threw stones at a Starbucks store in Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaraş on April 12, Anadolu and Demirören news agencies reported.

Accordingly, three perpetrators, one of them wearing a mask, first opened fire at the store located at the Heydar Aliyev Boulevard and then threw stones. The attack broke the windows of the store, damaging some items. 

Kahramanmaraş Governor Mükerrem Ünlüer said the perpetrator who opened fire was detained by security forces.

Ünlüer said they found three cartridges at the store after the attack and that there was material damage. 

“One of the perpetrators who carried out the incident was caught by our police. It came to light that the captured person also had 42 different criminal records such as looting, extortion, intentional injury, and drug use. Efforts to identify and capture the other perpetrators are ongoing,” Ünlüer added.

The incident became the latest in a string of attacks and protests against the coffee chain along with other U.S.-based businesses in Turkey possibly over their alleged support to Israel.

In some of the incidents, the protestors entered a Starbucks store and threw away the customers’ coffees. Other attacks have occurred in Istanbul branches of other U.S.-based businesses like McDonald’s and Burger King restaurants. 

Starbucks’ Middle Eastern operations including Turkey are owned by the Kuwait-based Alshaya Group.

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