Turkish opposition calls for day of no spending after Mayor arrest, stores and coffee shops empty

Record ID: 1987728

  • Title: Turkish opposition calls for day of no spending after Mayor arrest, stores and coffee shops empty
  • Date: 2nd April 2025
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) OPPOSITION SUPPORTER, HAYRETTIN (NO LAST NAME GIVEN), SAYING: "Boycott is a right call. It is a late decision. Boycott is something that needs to be done. People need to show their reaction. If they (government) continues this way, the country is getting worse. The boycott action that Mr. (leader of Republican People's Party (CHP)) Ozgur Ozel started
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: BOYCOTT CRACKDOWN ECONOMY ERDOGAN IMAMOGLU PROTESTS TURKEY
  • Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Europe,Middle East,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003356002042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Many shops, coffee stores and restaurants in Istanbul remained closed for a day on Wednesday (April 2) and others had few customers as part of a call for a day of no spending called by the opposition against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
    Turkey's government has denounced opposition calls for the mass commercial boycott that sparked nationwide protests, describing them on Wednesday as an economic "sabotage attempt".
    A general boycott call announced by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) 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.
    "The coffee shops are quite empty, the markets are empty. I think they are doing the right thing," said Nurcan, who declined to give her last name.
    Several cabinet ministers and pro-government celebrities, including former Germany and Real Madrid soccer midfielder Mesut Ozil, used the hashtag #BoykotDegilMilliZarar ("Not a Boycott, but National Damage") to emphasize their stance.
    (Production: Ayhan Uyanik, Ali Kucukgocmen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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