Ankara, (EFE).- The Turkish opposition staged a nationwide economic boycott on Wednesday, urging citizens to avoid all non-essential purchases as a protest against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government and the recent arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
The “Zero Shopping Day” campaign had a significant impact, according to several business owners who spoke to EFE.
“The boycott seems quite effective,” said the owner of a local supermarket chain, speaking anonymously. “People are only buying essentials like bread.”
A manager of another supermarket chain in Ankara estimated that by midday, foot traffic had dropped to just 25% of usual levels.
“Customers are only purchasing basic necessities. From what we see in our stores, the boycott is very successful,” he added.
A gas station director, also requesting anonymity, reported a similar decline in customers, estimating a 75% drop in sales.
Political backlash and government response
The boycott has fueled deep political divisions. For the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party and the organizer of the protest, the boycott was a show of strength.
But the government denounced it as economic “sabotage” and even called it illegal.“
Calling for a boycott against our local businesses and national products is a betrayal of our country and our people,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X, posting a photo of himself shopping.Trade Minister Ömer Bolat also posted an image of himself making purchases to counter the campaign.
Opposition targets government-linked businesses
The boycott followed massive protests in March, during which the CHP urged citizens to boycott companies owned by pro-government business conglomerates, many of which control major media outlets that exclusively broadcast Erdoğan’s narrative.
In addition to opposing İmamoğlu’s arrest, opposition activists, mostly students and young people, used social media to call for the Apr. 2 “Zero Shopping Day” as a symbolic protest against Turkey’s soaring cost of living.
The opposition newspaper BirGün pointed out that Erdoğan himself had encouraged citizens to boycott overpriced goods and services in December, as part of a government effort to curb runaway inflation, now at 39% year-over-year.
Crackdown to protest ers
Despite Erdoğan’s past calls for boycotts, the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into activists promoting “Zero Shopping Day,” accusing them of hate crimes, discrimination, and inciting hostility.
The backlash spilled into the entertainment industry, as Turkey’s state-run TV network TRT fired popular actress Aybüke Pusat from its hit series Teskilat after she ed the boycott on social media.
The hashtag #AybükePusat trended with over 60,000 posts, with many fellow Turkish actresses expressing solidarity with Pusat and condemning her dismissal.As tensions escalate, the opposition’s economic resistance movement appears to have struck a nerve, underscoring growing public frustration with Erdoğan’s government. EFE
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