The protests that broke out throughout Turkey after the detention of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, have escalated into demands for a one-day commercial boycott.
The student organizations responsible for the request also encouraged companies to close down operations on Wednesday.
Massive demonstrations against the government commenced the previous month following the imprisonment of İmamoğlu, who is seen as the primary opponent to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's prolonged 22-year leadership.
Imamoglu faces allegations of corruption and terrorism, which his supporters view as politically driven. However, the government maintains that the judicial system operates independently without political influence.
İmamoğlu's party - the Republican People's Party (CHP) – publicly supported the call for a commercial boycott.
"Everyone is encouraged to participate in this boycott and utilize the influence derived from spending," stated Özgür Özel, the leader of the CHP party, in a social media posting.
Previously, Özel had urged individuals to boycott companies that he alleges support the government, with particular emphasis on media organizations that chose not to broadcast footage of the massive protests where hundreds of thousands of Turks took to the streets demanding İmamoğlu’s release and an end to democratic regression.
The student-led boycott garnered an immediate reaction from the authorities.
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 shared photos of his shopping trip on social media, accompanied by remarks indicating it was a "day for supporting the nation's financial stability."
The chief of Turkey's broadcasting regulatory body (RTÜK) stated potential measures could be taken against news outlets that promoted the boycott.
A week ago, authorities imposed a 10-day broadcast suspension on an opposition channel along with penalties and programming halts for several others.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office similarly initiated a criminal probe into the opposition's calls for a boycott.
Imamoğlu, in a social media post from the prison where he has been detained since March 23, alleged that European politicians were beginning to sever connections with Turkey.
The European Commission decided against participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that she also canceled her scheduled meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
While incarcerated, İmamoğlu was officially named the CHP's presidential nominee in an election presently set for 2028 but expected to occur sooner.
As reported by the independent ANKA News Agency, approximately 2,000 individuals have been apprehended since İmamoğlu’s arrest on March 19th. Among these detainees, 316 remain in custody awaiting their trials.
Many of them face charges related to involvement in demonstrations.
