ISTANBUL โ Turkish authorities apprehended 11 individuals on Thursday in connection with a call to boycott shopping, which was part of demonstrations against the incarceration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoganโs chief opponent, as reported by the state-operated media.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutorโs Office has issued arrest warrants for 16 individuals suspected of โhatred and discriminationโ and โinciting hatred and hostilityโ within the community, as per reports from the Anadolu news agency.
Among those held was actor Cem Yigit Uzumoglu, renowned for his portrayal of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the Netflix docuseries โRise of Empires: Ottoman,โ as reported by the Actorsโ Union.
The charges pertain to social media messages urging people not to spend money on Wednesday while encouraging businesses to remain closed, marking a daylong boycott.
The region has been rocked by substantial anti-government demonstrations that erupted last month following the apprehension of Istanbulโs opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who faces alleged corruption charges deemed politically driven by critics. The administration maintains that the judiciary operates independently and is not influenced by politics.
Supporters of Imamogluโs Republican Peopleโs Party (CHP) experienced a violent attack on Thursday; a man wielding a knife targeted them as they gathered signatures in support of Imamoglu. Footage aired by opposition-aligned Halk TV showed the altercation taking place in Trabzon, a city located on the Black Sea. One party member sustained injuries, and police subsequently detained the assailant, according to a local party representative.
Earlier in the week, Istanbul prosecutors launched an inquiry into prior boycott appeals by Imamogluโs party against companies they claim back the government. These include media outlets that allegedly failed to broadcast footage showing the massive protests demanding Imamogluโs release and a cessation to the erosion of democratic systems.
The CHP leader issued a stern warning following the blocking of social media profiles bolstering Wednesdayโs boycott action.
โWe know that you have closed hundreds of pages to date,โ stated Ozgur Ozel on X. โIf you become a tool for anti-democratic practices today, if you implement access ban demands, think carefully about what this nation will do to you!โ
According to reports by the independent ANKA News Agency, approximately 2,000 individuals have been detained since Imamogluโs arrest on March 19, with 316 currently held in custody awaiting trial. The charges predominantly relate to their participation in protests.
Lawyers advocating for the detained protesters claimed on Wednesday that many had suffered abuse during custody. While the government has not issued a response to these allegations, the police released a statement on Thursday, refuting accusations of sexual assault against women detainees as โvile slanders.โ
Despite being in prison, Imamoglu has been confirmed as the presidential candidate for the CHP. Though the forthcoming election is presently scheduled for 2028, there is speculation that it may occur sooner.