Arrest of mayor: Turkiye denounces opposition calls for a day of no shopping

ANKARA: Turkiye’s government denounced opposition calls for a mass commercial boycott following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu that sparked nationwide protests, describing them on Wednesday as an economic “sabotage attempt”.

After the mayor was detained two weeks ago, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had called for a boycott of goods and services from companies with perceived ties to President Tayyip Erdogan’s government. That call widened on Wednesday to include a halt to all shopping for one day, prompting some shops to close in solidarity with those criticising the arrest as an anti-democratic attempt to hurt the opposition’s electoral prospects.Imamoglu is Erdogan’s main political rival and the CHP’s presidential candidate for any future election.