Turkish prosecutors have indicted 21 people including a famous actor for joining a boycott call made by the country’s main opposition leader in the aftermath of the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other opposition politicians, Turkish Minute reported.
The indictment, drafted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, seeks a prison sentence of up to seven and a half years for 21 individuals, including actor Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, for allegedly inciting boycotts and spreading calls for disruption of the economy following the arrest of İmamoğlu and other CHP officials in March.
İmamoğlu, a member the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest political rival, was arrested March 23 on corruption charges that many say are politically motivated. His arrest, along with that of dozens of others CHP city officials and politicians, has sparked widespread protests unseen in the country since 2013 and has intensified tensions.
The investigation into the 21 people focuses on their social media posts calling for nationwide boycotts of companies perceived as close to the government in line with a call made by CHP leader Özgür Özel.
The boycott campaign was initially launched by Özel during a demonstration outside İstanbul City Hall a day after İmamoğlu’s arrest. Özel named nearly two dozen brands, including popular bookstores and coffee chains, and urged people to cancel subscriptions and support independent businesses instead.
The boycott campaign quickly gained traction online, with many sharing lists of pro-government companies for government opponents to avoid.
On April 1 prosecutors initiated an investigation into individuals who promoted or disseminated boycott messages, citing possible violations of laws against inciting hatred and discrimination. Üzümoğlu, who stars in the popular series “Şakir Paşa Ailesi” (Portrait of a Scandalous Family), was among the 11 people who were briefly detained as part of this investigation on April 3. They were released under judicial supervision with a travel ban.
“Boycott is a form of protest that can be evaluated within the scope of the constitution’s freedom of expression … and the right to assembly,” the actor wrote on X back in April.
In the indictment prosecutors allege the group aimed to prevent the public from engaging in normal commercial activities by encouraging the shutdown of businesses and disruption of economic life across Turkey. They argue there is sufficient suspicion that the suspects committed the crimes of inciting hatred and discrimination and obstructing economic activity based on discriminatory motives.
The government condemned the boycott as an attempt to destabilize the economy.
Üzümoğlu also played Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in the Netflix series “Rise of Empires: Ottoman.” Other celebrity figures and actors faced similar sanctions for expressing solidarity with the boycott campaign, with some of them having their contracts terminated with state-run media outlets.
