News Anchor Fired After Drinking From ‘Pro-Israel’ Starbucks Cup Live On Air

A Turkish broadcaster has fired an award-winning news anchor, accusing her of “covertly” supporting the state of Israel after she was caught on camera during a live telecast drinking from a Starbucks cup.

Starbucks has been accused of propping up both sides of the Israel-Gaza war, a claim the company pushed back on, saying in a statement “our stance is clear. We stand for humanity.”

Meltem Gunay, 45, a veteran news presenter for TGRT Haber and winner of the Best Morning Presenter award, was dismissed this week for cause by the channel, the latest in a string of escalating incidents highlighting tensions in the region.

Starbucks has been accused of propping up both sides of the Israel-Gaza war, a claim the company pushed back on, saying in a statement “our stance is clear. We stand for humanity.”

TGRT Haber, for its part, said the station “knows the sensitivities of the Turkish people regarding Gaza and defends them to the end.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made several recent proclamations attacking Israel and defending Hamas, claiming the organization was not “a terror group,” and calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies “the butchers of Gaza.”

Israeli food company Strauss recently removed the word “Turkish” from its popular “Turkish coffee” drink, rebranding the packaging with pro-Israel slogans.