14.01.2026 21:30
It is claimed that the famous coffee chain Espressolab, which had been on the CHP's boycott list for a long time and was removed from this list in recent months, distributed hundreds of coffees with "Özgür Özel" written on them to citizens attending the party's rally held in Beşiktaş, Istanbul.
The address of the CHP's rally organized under the slogan "Defending the Will of the Nation" this week was the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul.
ALLEGATION OF "ESPRESSOLAB SENT COFFEE"
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel addressed the crowd gathered at Barbaros Square, while a striking allegation overshadowed Özel's statements at the rally. According to the allegation, the famous coffee chain Espressolab, which had been on CHP's boycott list for a long time and was removed from the list in recent months, sent hundreds of coffees with "Özgür Özel" written on them to the citizens attending the rally. Numerous users on social media shared posts regarding the coffees allegedly distributed by the company. On the other hand, no statement has yet been made by Espressolab regarding the issue.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
The process that began with Ekrem İmamoğlu's detention on March 19 as part of a 'corruption' and 'terror' investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality continued with his arrest and suspension from duty. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel addressed the crowd gathered in front of the İBB building in Saraçhane, announcing a boycott list that included the famous coffee chain Espressolab.
In his speech on March 24, Özel stated, "I love all kinds of coffee. I love Turkish coffee, filter coffee, all of them. Drink whichever you like, but do not drink it from Espressolab! We will not visit Espressolab on campus, we will not drink their coffee. The executives of the mainstream media should get a coffee and think it over until the end of the speech. I love Turkish coffee, filter coffee very much, I love all kinds of it, I recommend you drink whichever you like, but do not drink it from Espressolab. From now on, we will not visit Espressolab, we will not drink their coffees."
In a statement on October 8, Özel announced that they had removed Espressolab from the boycott list and that as a result of the discussions, the profits obtained from the university branches of the brand would be transferred to the 19 March Fund established for humanitarian aid.