A gunman opened fire at a Starbucks outlet in the southern province of Adana on Wednesday while there were customers inside the store in protest of the company’s alleged support for Israel, the DHA news agency reported.
“Children are dying in Palestine,” the gunman reportedly said as he was firing at the windows of the coffee shop.
There were no casualties in the attack.
The Adana Governor’s Office said in a statement that the attacker, a 35-year-old man identified only by the initials G.O., has been detained and an investigation has been launched into the incident.
US missions and businesses in Turkey have been the subjects of boycotts and protests since Israel began its retaliatory strikes on Gaza after Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on the country, killing at least 1,200 civilians.
US businesses are targeted due to their real or perceived support for Israel, whose strikes have led to the killing of more than 18,000 civilians in Gaza so far.
Last month, the US Embassy in Turkey issued a security alert due to demonstrations and attacks on US branded businesses in Turkey amid the negative public sentiment caused by ongoing Israeli strikes on Gaza and the US support for Israel.
