The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has issued a call for a widespread boycott of businesses and media outlets perceived to be aligned with the government. The decision comes amid historic protests. These demonstrations flared after the July 27th detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, sparking some of the largest anti-government protests in Turkey since the Gezi Protests of 2013. The CHP leader urged Turkish companies to refrain from placing ads on pro-government media outlets. He called on citizens to boycott NTV, a major Turkish news channel.
The protest movement has gained momentum, drawing participation from various political parties, student groups, and other organizations with unique agendas. More than 1,000 protesters have since been arrested and flown to prisons outside of Istanbul as a result of the city’s overcrowded jails. Students have been the main force behind these protests. After almost two decades of one-man rule, for many of them, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party have been the only ruling authority they’ve ever known. The students have been very outspoken, especially against the democratic backsliding that they see as having occurred under Erdoğan’s long rule.
The CHP is aware of this and has been smart in steering public outrage toward an ever-expanding list of products and services to avoid. Take for instance, Turkey’s unswerving devotion to its favorite chocolate brand. The roster includes the coffee chain Espressolab, a home appliances manufacturer, and Indonesia’s favourite chain of malls. Aydın, a prominent protester, remarked:
“It is not a deterrent. There is no atmosphere of fear,” – Aydın
The boycott has reached various sectors, including culinary enterprises such as Gökçe’s renowned steakhouses, which have become a symbol of the protest’s economic resistance. Serkan, a local consumer, expressed his sentiments:
“I love it there, but it’s on the boycott list now, so I’m not going,” – Serkan
The opposition argues back, pointing out that cost of living increased dramatically during Erdoğan’s rule. This economic strain is compounded by the Doğuş Group’s sizable impact on Turkish politics. This increasingly prominent corporate behemoth runs an impressive vertical monopoly from construction to pro-government media, energy, wholesale real estate, and even VW distribution. Özel, another opposition figure, emphasized the resolve against pro-government entities:
“We do not buy products of those who advertise on NTV. We do not watch NTV … We do not pass through Nusr-Et’s door,” – Özel
President Erdoğan has painted the protest movement as a scheming fifth column trying to undermine Turkey’s economy. Yet the boycott has significantly brought members of Turkey’s urban middle class under the pro-boycott umbrella and into the larger anti-government movement. The protests have surged across university campuses where students are vocal about their demand for change and are critical of austerity measures affecting their livelihoods.
“So of course, for them it’s about change, but it’s also about the austerity measures that they’ve been forced to accept,” – Aydın
Students’ involvement is especially important Students are taking on the rising cost of education and transportation head on, fighting back against this wave of austerity. Tires on the ground The sentiment on the streets is that we all must stand together against this administration that they feel is out of touch.
“They’re so disconnected from the public that they’re not grasping just how expensive they’ve made bus and train tickets to get back home for these students,” – Aydın
Protesters have continued to be undeterred even in the face of increasingly oppressive government crackdowns. The multigenerational, multi-ethnic coalition at work in the protest movement reflects a strong and growing demand for political reform and economic justice.