AKP officials face sanctions for attending Burger King opening amid Turks’ Israel boycott

Several mayors and local officials from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Black Sea province of Rize have been referred to the party’s disciplinary board after attending the opening ceremony of a new Burger King in the city amid Turks’ boycott of Israeli companies and pro-Israel brands in response to the Israeli war on Gaza.

International fast food chains such as US-based Burger King and McDonald’s face boycotts from pro-Palestinian activists all around the world due to their perceived support for the Israeli war on Gaza.

Photos circulating on social media showed the AKP politicians during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening.

After facing criticism on social media for his presence at the event, İyidere district Mayor Saffet Mete defended himself, saying, “If I had eaten there, it would be considered supporting Israel, but I only cut the ribbon.”

The decision regarding the AKP officials was announced on X by Ömer Çelik, the party’s spokesperson, on Sunday.

“A decision has been made to refer the mayors and party officials who attended the opening of a business in Rize, currently under boycott, to the disciplinary board,” Çelik said.

Rize’de boykot kapsamında olan bir işletmenin açılışına katılan belediye başkanlarımız ve teşkilat yöneticilerimiz hakkında disipline sevk kararı alınmıştır. Süreç Teşkilat Başkanlığımız tarafından takip edilmektedir.

— Ömer Çelik (@omerrcelik) October 13, 2024

The disciplinary action, which could lead to the politicians’ expulsion from the party, came only after a widespread backlash on social media, sparking a fresh debate about the AKP’s sincerity in supporting the boycott.

“Why it is acceptable for [President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan’s son’s ship to be taking on a shipment in Israel while Gaza is being bombed, but the AKP’s Rize administration is being sent to the disciplinary board for attending the opening of a Burger King?” investigative journalist Metin Cihan said in a tweet on Sunday, referring to Turkey’s increasing trade with Israel during its war on Gaza.

bir şey soracağım ve bu vesileyle bir belgeyi ilk kez paylaşacağım.

ak parti rize yönetimi burger king açılışına katıldı diye disipline sevk ediliyor da, erdoğan'ın oğlunun gemisinin gazze bombalanırken israil'de yükleme yapıyor olması niçin hoş karşılanıyor?

belgeye… https://t.co/6BKjNRLTs9 pic.twitter.com/5aExg82dAW

— metin cihan (@metcihan) October 13, 2024

Following the Israeli attacks on Gaza, which began in retaliation for an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on October 7 and claimed the lives of around 1,200 people in Israel, Erdoğan has directed strong criticism at Israel, accusing it carrying out a “genocide” and committing “war crimes” in Gaza.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, 42,065 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, mostly civilians. The UN has said the figures are reliable.

Official statistics and reports by Cihan have shown that despite Erdoğan’s condemnation of Israel, trade with Israel significantly increased right after the conflict started, which prompted many to accuse Erdoğan of “hypocrisy” in his defense of the Palestinian people.

Although the Turkish government announced a halt in exports to Israel in May after a public outcry over Israel’s military actions in Gaza, data from the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM) showed a drastic increase in trade with Palestine, particularly in sectors such as steel, cement, textiles and electronics. This has led to speculation that Turkish goods may be entering Israel under the guise of exports to Palestine. Palestine, with its limited infrastructure and economy, would struggle to absorb such large quantities of goods, fueling suspicions that most of these exports are being rerouted to Israel.

Critics accuse Erdoğan of exploiting the situation for domestic political gain, using anti-Israel rhetoric to rally nationalist support amid economic challenges in Turkey.