Turkish police arrested 11 people suspected of having propagated calls for a day boycott Shopping in a protest in progress against the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu.
The detentions followed a call from the main leader of the Ozgur Ozel opposition for a larger boycott of companies with links perceived with the government of President Rece Tayyip Erdogan.
The demonstrations have spread throughout Turkey since the arrest of Imamoglu in March for corruption, which it denies. Many consider him the only politician in Türkiye who can compete with Erdogan in a presidential election.
What is the bustle of a boycott shopping?
The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Istanbul has published arrest mandates against 16 suspects in an investigation into “hatred and discrimination” and “encouraging hatred and hostility” among the public, reported Anadolu, the State press agency.
One of the main actors of “Rise of Empires: Ottoman” of Netflix was one of the detained persons, according to the Turkish actors’ union.
They were detained on publications on social networks calling on people not to spend money on Wednesday and companies to close their doors in solidarity during the boycott of a day.
The Turkish government has condemned the boycott of pro-government companies as an attempt to destabilize the economy.
Why did the opposition ask for a boycott?
The large-scale anti-government demonstrations began last month after the arrest of Imamoglu.
Members of his Republican People’s Party (CHP) said the charges held against him were politically motivated.
Imamoglu was noted in a resounding way as mayor of Istanbul for the third time last year. The CHP appointed him as a race candidate despite his detention.
On Saturday, the chief of the CHP, Ozel, called for a boycott of media, brands and stores which, according to them, are pro-Erdogan.
In support, certain cafes, restaurants and bars of the capital, Ankara and Istanbul stayed on Wednesday.
The CHP has promised to maintain demonstrations until Imamoglu is released and authorized to run in what the party hopes to be early elections.
How is the Turkish economy?
The Turkish LIRA has been negotiated for two weeks at a historically low level, about 38 will read the US dollar.
Independent economists of the Turkey Inflation Research Group (ENAG) estimated that consumer prices of household items increased by 75.2% in March.
They also warned that after the arrest of Imamoglu, the drop in LIRA could threaten the government’s objective to reduce the inflation rate to 24% by the end of 2025.
Published by: Louis OOLOFSE
