Turkey's protests over the arrest of an Erdogan rival take a new angle:
Boycott shopping
[April 03, 2025] By
ANDREW WILKS
ISTANBUL (AP) — 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.
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.
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Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an
Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul,
Turkey, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
 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.
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