Image by Arzu Geybullayeva for Global Voices created via Canva Pro.
An opposition-led boycott in Turkey started on March 19, the day Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained. That night, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party Özgür Özel told the crowd who gathered outside the Istanbul municipality headquarters to boycott pro-government media channels and a list of companies affiliated with the government on the grounds that the television channels did not cover the large scale demonstrations.
Over the following days as people continued to gather in the same square Özel pressed with the calls, adding more companies and brands who kept advertising on pro-government channels and asking people to boycott their products. The opposition party even created a website, which was blocked days later by a decision of a criminal judgeship of peace.
Then on April 1, joining the calls by students across Turkey, Özel called on the public at large for a day long economic boycott. “Stop all purchases! Supermarkets, online shopping, restaurants, gasoline, coffee, buy nothing,” said Özel on April 1. Scores of business — small and large — across the country announced they were closing down shops and e-commerce websites in solidarity. Meanwhile Istanbul Prosecutor's Office in a statement on April 1, said it was initiating an investigation, on the grounds that “‘divisive rhetoric’ on traditional and social media aimed at hindering the economic activity constituted ‘hatred and discrimination’ and ‘incitement to hatred and hostility,’” according to local media reports.
Separately, a Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun said she has cancelled her concert in Istanbul scheduled for October 2025. In an Instagram post, Brun said “this is not the right time.” According to reporting by Bianet, it was fan's plea to cancel the concert over detentions and arrests in Turkey that prompted her to take action.
Brun's concert was organized by DBL Entertainment owned by a man named Abdülkadir Özkan. It was Özkan's controversial remarks on social media about on-going calls for boycott describing it as “treason” that triggered the boycott. Özkan later said that, as a result of backlash his post has created, the company was withdrawing from all projects.
Muse, whose concert was also organized by the same company and who is scheduled to perform in June, is now being pressured by Turkish fans to cancel their concert as well. Among other artists who are invited by the fans to to join the boycott is Robbie Williams.
South African stand-up comedian Trevor Noah, who was scheduled to perform on April 23, also cancelled although it remains unclear whether his decision is related to the boycott or not.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat said companies facing boycott may file a “compensation lawsuit,” dismissing calls for the boycott as a “futile attempt,” and encouraging the public to do their shopping planned over the following days, specifically on April 2.
A receipt that says “We are not buying or selling anything on April 2, 2025.” The rest of the receipt reads: “Justice — not found; Empathy — does not exist in the system; Conscience — removed from stock; Tears — on sale; Hope — stocks upgraded; Rights — being searched for; Mercy — based on product; Anger — lots in stock; Youth — sold.”
Meanwhile, images like the one above are seen on social media. The items listed on the receipt are just a handful of the nuances reflected in speeches by the political opposition as well as demonstrators. One of the popular slogans throughout the demonstration was, “Hak, Hukuk, Adalet” (Right(s), Law, Justice). Mercy refers to a recent presidential decision to commute the prison sentences of 10 people including two men convicted in high-profile Hizbullah-related cases, while keeping over 1000 detained and arrested following the start of the protests on March 19, including some 300 students.
Responding to the calls for boycott, the president’s top adviser Mehmet Uçum said the calls were “an operation organized by the imperialist.” The advisor completely dismissed President Erdoğan’s remark as recently as January 2025, when he said during a cabinet meeting, “One of the effective methods to bring those who sell expensive products to their knees is a boycott. Our biggest trump card against opportunists is to use the freedom not to buy.” The video recording of this statement has been shared widely on social media with commentary that when the president says it its ok, but when public does it it is dismissed.