Turkiye: government denounces opposition calls for a ‘no shopping day’

Turkiye’s government has denounced opposition calls for a mass commercial boycott following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu that sparked nationwide protests, Reuters has reported. The government described the boycott calls on Wednesday as an economic “sabotage attempt”.

After the mayor was detained two weeks ago, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had called for a boycott of goods and services from companies with perceived ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

That call widened on Wednesday to include a halt to all shopping for one day, prompting some shops to close in solidarity with those criticising the arrest as a politicised and anti-democratic attempt to hurt the opposition’s electoral prospects. Imamoglu is Erdogan’s main political rival and the CHP’s presidential candidate for any future election.

Trade Minister Omer Bolat claimed that boycott calls posed a threat to economic stability and accused those advocating them of seeking to undermine the government. “They are an attempt to sabotage the economy and include unfair trade and competition elements”, he said. “We see this as a futile attempt by circles who consider themselves the masters of this country.”

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz added that the calls for a “no shopping day” threatened social harmony and economic stability, and were “doomed to fail”.

Several cabinet ministers and pro-government celebrities, including former Germany and Real Madrid footballer Mesut Ozil, used the hashtag #BoykotDegilMilliZarar (“Not a Boycott, but National Damage”) to emphasise their stance.

The calls have been led by CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel, who has encouraged the street protests that have swollen to be the largest in Turkiye in more than a decade. Erdogan has called the protests “evil” and said that they would not last.

Turkiye’s economy has been hit by a years-long cost of living crisis and series of currency crashes, with growth having slowed and inflation still lofty at 39 per cent in February.

On Tuesday prosecutors launched an investigation into those advocating the boycott calls on social and traditional media. The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said that it was probing calls which allegedly sought to prevent a segment of the public from engaging in economic activity, citing possible violations of laws against hate speech and inciting public hostility.

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