Starbucks Starbucks, along with its partner Delek Group of Israel, closed all six of its locations in Israel, citing "on-going operational challenges" and a "difficult business environment." The Starbucks location in the former imperial palace in Beijing closed in July 2007. The coffee shop had been a source of ongoing controversy since its opening in 2000 with protesters objecting that the presence of the American chain in this location "was trampling on Chinese culture." In July 2008, the company announced it was closing 600 underperforming company-owned stores and cutting U.S. expansion plans amid growing economic uncertainty. On July 29, 2008, Starbucks
2008 Justice and Development Party closure trial Kılıç on 30 July 2008 at 6:00 pm. If he had voted for closure, the result would have been 7:4 for closure and the case would have succeeded. However, Kılıç voted against the closure, thus making the final vote 6:5, one short of the 7:4 needed for closure. The second voting on the state funding of the AKP resulted in 10 out of 11 members voting to cut public funding for the party. The Court decision has cut the state funding of the AKP by 50%. The only vote against cutting the funding was given by President of the Constitutional