Lipton has announced the complete withdrawal of its tea production operations in Turkey, closing both of its tea-processing factories and transferring ownership of the facilities to the Turkish firm Özgür Çay. Company officials confirmed the handover and said production activities under the Lipton brand will cease in the country.
The move reduces the multinational’s footprint in Turkey to a much smaller role limited to packaging operations, according to the same sources. Observers note that this leaves Lipton with a presence focused on packing rather than full-scale manufacture or processing.
The company attributed the decision to mounting public pressure and sustained boycott campaigns that targeted Lipton for alleged links to support for the Israeli military. Supporters of the boycott have welcomed the development as a concrete outcome of sustained consumer activism and calls for corporate accountability.
For many watching from Pakistan and the wider region, the outcome of this campaign underscores the influence of coordinated consumer pressure on multinational companies. The result is being described by activists and some consumers as a victory for ethical business practices and transparency.
As Lipton Turkey scales back to packaging-only operations, campaigners say they will continue to monitor the situation, while industry analysts will be watching how the transfer to Özgür Çay affects local production and supply chains in the months ahead.
