ISTANBUL – Protests that erupted across Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor — the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — took a new direction Wednesday with calls for a one-day shopping boycott.
The student groups behind the call also urged businesses to close Wednesday.
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Large-scale anti-government protests began last month after the jailing of Ekrem Imamoglu, who faces corruption and terrorism charges that observers say are politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.
Imamoglu's party supported the call for a boycott.
“I invite everyone to join this boycott and use their power that comes from consumption,” said Ozgur Ozel, leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, on social media.
Ozel had called for people to shun companies he said supported the government, particularly media firms that did not air images of protests that saw hundreds of thousands flood streets to call for Imamoglu’s release and an end to democratic backsliding.
The students' boycott call sparked a quick response from the government.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called it “sabotage” and a “coup attempt against our economy,” while Trade Minister Omer Bolat said companies that suffer financial losses would be able to file a claim for compensation against those calling for the boycott.
Bolat posted images of himself shopping on social media, alongside comments saying it was a “day of protecting the national economy.”
The head of Turkey’s broadcasting authority announced possible action against news channels that publicized the boycott. Last week, the authority issued a 10-day broadcasting ban for one opposition channel, as well as fines and program suspensions to others.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday launched a criminal investigation into the opposition’s boycott calls.
Rifat Hisarciklioglu, president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, said it was wrong to target companies, which he said should be kept out of political discussions.
Meanwhile, the head of an events company who drew the anger of protesters by calling them “traitors” announced it was cancelling concerts, including those by British artists Robbie Williams and Muse as well as Norwegian singer Ane Brun that had been scheduled for later this year.
Imamoglu, in a social media post from the prison where he has been held since March 23, asserted that European politicians had started to cut ties with Turkey.
The European Commission canceled its participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, while European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said she has cancelled a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
While in prison, Imamoglu has been confirmed as the CHP’s presidential candidate in an election currently scheduled for 2028 but likely to take place earlier.
According to the independent ANKA News Agency, some 2,000 people have been detained since Imamoglu was arrested on March 19, with 316 jailed pending trial. Most face charges relating to participating in protests.
Lawyers for imprisoned protesters asserted Wednesday their clients had been beaten by police, deprived of food and water, handcuffed for prolonged periods and denied access to lawyers and families.
The Istanbul-based Lawyer’s Voice Initiative said most students suffered bruises while one had “numbness in his arm due to physical violence and a female student had broken ribs.”
Turkey's government has not responded to the claims.
