A newscaster has been given the sack after she suffered a major on-air blunder after bringing a prohibited item on set.
Award-winning journalist and reporter Meltem Günay was presenting the latest stories on Turkish news channel TGRT Haber on Christmas Eve. However, following her accidental incident live on-air, she was given the chop from the station, alongside the director of the programme.
According to the Turkish media company, the pair were fired after Günay brought a banned item onto the set of the show and displayed it for all to see. In the awkward faux pas, Meltem is seen reading the news, as she sits in front of a laptop – but a banned item was right next to her.
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Viewers of the programme could spot a coffee cup from well-know café Starbucks next to the laptop. As a result, the pair were immediately sacked from their respective positions due to the accidental leaving of the cup on the desk.
(Image: TGRT Haber)
Whilst coffee is seen as a common drink in Turkey, the reasoning for their dismissal is not about the drink itself. A statement released by TGRT Haber was released just hours after the duo were taken off-air, which said Günay and the director were removed from the channel “for just cause”.
The statement from the broadcaster said that Meltem had been “covertly advertising” Starbucks with the cup, which goes against the rules and “principles” of the broadcaster. Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country and has had close ties to the people of Gaza, supporting them during Hamas’ ongoing war with Israel.
(Image: Getty Images)
As a result, coffee lovers in Turkey have enacted a nationwide boycott of Starbucks due to claims of Starbucks’ alleged bias towards Israel. Turkish protesters supporting the Palestinian movement have been posting videos demonstrating outside shops since the conflict began.
Activists who support Palestine were left furious after the coffee corporation took legal action against its own union after its workers posted a statement that supported Palestinians affected by the war. The group shared the message “Solidarity with Palestine, with an image of a fence along the Gaza Strip being torn down by a Hamas-operated bulldozer.
(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The statement went on to say that the broadcaster “strongly condemns” the actions from both the presenter and the director. TGRT added that it has an “understanding that knows the sensitivities of the Turkish people regarding Gaza and defends them to the end”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
