The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party has called for a nationwide boycott on Wednesday to protest the detention of university students arrested for participating in demonstrations in support of jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
“Stop all purchases! Supermarkets, online shopping, restaurants, gasoline, coffee, buy nothing,” said Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Tuesday, urging citizens to use consumer pressure to demand justice.
The call echoes an appeal launched by student groups who have protested İmamoğlu’s March 19 detention. Özel said at least 301 students had been arrested and put in pretrial detention for taking part in the protests.
Lawyers and CHP officials have denounced what they describe as harsh treatment of detainees in police custody and jail.
The opposition leader has also backed a broader campaign to boycott companies seen as close to the government in an effort to apply economic pressure.
İmamoğlu’s arrest on corruption charges he denies triggered nationwide protests and marked the country’s largest wave of demonstrations in more than a decade. Authorities have banned further protests in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.
© Agence France-Presse
