Registry
Does LC Waikiki Mağazacılık Hizmetleri Ticaret A.Ş. support Israel?
Yes — LC Waikiki Mağazacılık Hizmetleri Ticaret A.Ş. has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Fashion & apparel brands · Retail & supermarket chains · Companies that support Israel
Background
LC Waikiki is a privately held Turkish clothing retailer headquartered in Istanbul, with more than a thousand stores across dozens of countries. Its Israel record is a short, purely commercial chapter: it opened stores in Israeli malls in 2018 and closed them in 2020, two years before the Gaza war and four years before Turkey's embargo. No donation, sponsorship, foundation grant or supportive statement toward Israel or the Israeli government by LC Waikiki is on record, and no Israeli subsidiary or supply agreement exists today. Two further points keep the record precise. First, Turkey restricted exports to Israel across 54 product groups on 9 April 2024 and halted all trade with Israel on 2 May 2024, so Turkish-made apparel shipments to Israel ended by law; the Directorate of Communications states no export customs declaration to Israel has been registered since. Second, LC Waikiki stores in Palestinian cities such as Bethlehem are sometimes cited online as 'LC Waikiki in Israel' — they are stores in the Palestinian territories, run under the company's regional franchising, and conflating them with an Israeli operation is a factual error. Nothing in the record shows LC Waikiki supporting Israel.
Ynet (Turkish Waikiki closes its Israeli stores after only two years) Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade (export restriction to Israel, 9 April 2024) Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications (statement on trade with Israel) LC Waikiki corporate (store network)
Timeline of documented support
Documented support
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations in Israel | 2018 | — | Israeli retail market (LC Waikiki stores in Ofer/Melisron malls) The Turkish fast-fashion chain LC Waikiki opened stores in Israel in 2018, operating them itself from its Turkish headquarters rather than through an Israeli franchisee. The branches were in shopping centres of the Israeli mall owner Melisron (Ofer malls) — Petah Tikva, Beer Sheva and Kiryon — and the move was initiated by Avi Levy, then chief executive of Melisron, who wanted a discount-fashion anchor to compete with chains such as Urbanica. Ynet reported that because of the sensitivity of Turkish–Israeli diplomatic relations the chain did not advertise in Israel, which left its brand awareness low. This is a retail market entry — a commercial decision to sell clothing in Israel — not a donation, sponsorship or political statement. | |
| Operations in Israel | 2020-08 | — | Israeli retail market — LC Waikiki's exit LC Waikiki closed its Israeli branches after about two years. Ynet reported in 2020 that the chain was vacating its stores in the Melisron/Ofer malls by August that year; industry sources quoted in the report attributed the failure to the stores being run from headquarters in Turkey instead of by a local franchisee who understood the market, and to the absence of any advertising. The end of the Israeli chain operation is recorded here with its date, as required for ended commercial relationships. Note the distinction the reporting itself makes: LC Waikiki continued to trade in Arab-majority areas afterwards, and the company has stores in Palestinian cities — those are separate operations from the Israeli mall chain that closed. |
Frequently asked questions
Did LC Waikiki Mağazacılık Hizmetleri Ticaret A.Ş. donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
We have no records of cash donations, but LC Waikiki Mağazacılık Hizmetleri Ticaret A.Ş. has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel). See the records on this page.
Where does this information come from?
Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 6 distinct sources are cited for LC Waikiki Mağazacılık Hizmetleri Ticaret A.Ş.. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2026-07-30
- Ynet (Turkish Waikiki closes its Israeli stores after only two years) ynet.co.il
- Yedioth Ahronoth (same report) yediot.co.il
- Yedioth Ahronoth (Turkish discount brand on its way to Israel) yediot.co.il
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade (export restriction to Israel, 9 April 2024) ticaret.gov.tr
- Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications (statement on trade with Israel) iletisim.gov.tr
- LC Waikiki corporate (store network) corporate.lcwaikiki.com