Coke boycott over Gaza boosts Japanese-owned Turkish cola

Muslims in Turkey and beyond shun U.S. brands in solidarity with Palestinians

DyDo Group Holdings, the company that makes Cola Turka is having trouble keeping it in stock, owing to its newfound popularity. (Photo by Kana Watanabe)

KANA WATANABE, Nikkei staff writer

January 3, 2025 10:13 JST

ISTANBUL -- A local cola brand is soaring in popularity in Turkey as Muslim shoppers boycott American products over U.S. support of Israel and its war in Gaza, delivering a windfall to Japanese parent DyDo Group Holdings.

Bilal, who owns a snack bar in Istanbul, said he began stocking Cola Turka instead of Coca-Cola in 2024 because he "could not support a genocidal country."