Turkish government calls opposition-led shopping boycott ‘economic sabotage’

Turkey’s main opposition party has called for a one-day shopping boycott in response to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a move the Erdogan regime calls “economic sabotage.”

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for the boycott on Wednesday, marking a significant expansion of the opposition’s economic protests.

Immediately after Mr. Imamoglu’s arrest last month, the party called for a boycott of all businesses with ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said the economic protest is “doomed,” while adding that the calls to protest threaten social harmony.

Trade Minister Omer Bolat echoed the vice president, telling Turkish media that the boycott imperils economic stability and tries to undermine the Erdogan government.

The protests “are an attempt to sabotage the economy and include unfair trade and competition elements,” Mr. Bolat said. “We see this as a futile attempt by circles who consider themselves the masters of this country.”

Turkish authorities launched an investigation into social media accounts promoting the boycott Wednesday, with Istanbul prosecutors announcing they would probe claims that protesters attempted to prevent citizens from participating in economic activity.

The boycott was spearheaded by CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel, who also became a leader of street protests that erupted in the wake of Mr. Imamoglu’s arrest. The party said the boycott is in response to the brutal crackdown on protesters last month.

“The nation is the real owner of the state,” Mr. Ozel posted Tuesday on X. “A handful of junta members who pit the state against the people will lose, and the people will win.”

The CHP says Mr. Imamoglu is being held under bogus charges, alleging that the Erdogan regime is trying to silence its biggest rival. Earlier this year, Mr. Imamoglu won the CHP presidential nomination, ensuring he would compete against Mr. Erdogan in the next election.

The protests that followed Mr. Imamoglu’s arrest are the biggest Turkey has seen in decades. Thousands of students and activists have crowded the streets of major cities over the past month.