A Tale of Two Mobilizations: Competing Reactions to Boycotts After 19 March

Following the 19 March 2025 arrest of Istanbul’s mayor and Erdoğan’s leading opponent, Ekrem İmamoğlu, nationwide calls were made by the opposition to boycott brands and firms that are perceived as pro-government. The calls for boycotting drew support from the opposition, but they also sparked a reaction from government supporters and business circles. In this study, we argue that boycotts and counter-mobilizations against boycotts after 19 March are closely associated with several factors. For opposition voters, participating in a boycott is incentivized as the cost of street protests dramatically increased, rendering boycotts a relatively safe and anonymous way of expressing dissent. For government supporters, their counter-mobilization against the boycott took the form of showing solidarity with the boycotted goods and brands, with ordinary citizens acting largely in accordance with their partisan identity. For business circles and politicians who joined these displays of solidarity, they did so to demonstrate loyalty, motivated by the perceived risk of falling out of favour and being excluded from patronage networks and clientelist ties. Drawing on public discussion and media reactions, the current study aims to develop an understanding of how the boycott episodes were formed, what motivated both sides, how participants from both sides justified their inclusion, and what these reactions reveal under the increasing crackdown on opposition. By exploring both sides together, we strive to contribute to a deeper understanding of boycotts, both as a means of expressing dissent and as a tool for supporting authoritarian rule.