In a raid on the waste collection depots and yards in İstanbul's Ataşehir, nearly 200 people have been taken into custody.
The Umut (Hope) Union has announced the detention of waste paper pickers on its social media account: "In a midnight raid in Ataşehir, nearly 200 waste paper workers have been detained! Our fellow migrants have been taken to the Migrant Assembly Center to be deported. The booths of the workers have been burned and their handcarts have been seized."
As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the police and municipal police teams carried out simultaneous raids on the houses and paper collection yards of waste paper pickers. Nearly 200 waste pickers have been detained in raids on 49 different addresses. The materials found in the waste collection depots have been seized during these raids.
The workers held a press statement yesterday (October 5). Speaking in Ataşehir, the workers demanded the release of their detained friends. However, while the statement was still ongoing, it was reported in the press that three workers were arrested and sent to Maltepe Prison.
In their statement about the issue, the workers said that "in the raids on the depots in Esenkent on October 4, 2021, the waster pickers were aggrieved again." The workers recalled that "the previous statements of the İstanbul Governor's Office accused the waste pickers of jeopardizing environmental and public health, causing unregistered employment in unhealthy conditions, leading to public loss and unearned gain, causing a security problem and employing unregistered migrant workers."
"We see that the language has changed in the press statement made by the Governor's Office following yesterday's raids," said the workers, noting that this recent statement "indicated that the aim of the inspections was to ensure compliance with the provisions of the legal regulations."
They raised concerns that "as if it had been a criminal matter, the Governor's Office was making statements about the issue."
"As for the other interlocutors of the problem, they have relapsed into utter silence," they protested, asking, "Are these decisions of raid taken by the Governor's Office or have the municipalities approved them? Wasn't it the Mayor of Üsküdar himself who pointed at the Kadosan area for the pickers? Didn't he himself want the paper depots to be moved to Kadosan? Why is he still silent while the Governor's Office intervenes in this area?"
Noting that "political parties and municipalities know very well that these operations targeting paper pickers means disregarding the poor's right to life," they said that "if they think that they can save themselves by passing the buck to the governor's office, they are wrong."
Recalling that the municipalities and political party representatives express their unease at the practices of the governor's office, the waste pickers also criticized that the related legal regulations have changed 17 times since 2014, as far as they have been able to count.
"The ones who introduce the regulations don't know what they want. What regulations are you talking about," they asked.
"You may make press statements and try to convince people that the raids are aimed at public good. These people see what is for the good of the public and what is for the good of the capital," they noted. (EMK/SD)
Consumer prices in İstanbul rose by 3.79 percent in March compared to the previous month, according to data released by the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO). On an annual basis, inflation in the city reached 46.23 percent.
The March figures follow a 3.19 percent monthly increase in February, when the annual rate stood at 45.35 percent.
The updated figures reflect a recent change in İTO’s calculation method. Prior to February, the index diverged from the national inflation indicator released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). In February, İTO revised its long-running “Cost of Living Index for Wage Earners in İstanbul,” which had been in place since 1995, and reintroduced it under the name “İstanbul Consumer Price Index.” The new version aligns more closely with TurkStat’s methodology in terms of main expenditure groups and item count.
The highest monthly increase in March was recorded in the alcoholic beverages and tobacco group at 7.31 percent, followed by communication expenses at 4.50 percent and food and non-alcoholic beverages at 4.22 percent. Housing expenditures rose 3.59 percent, transportation 3.15 percent, and various goods and services 3.11 percent. Household goods increased by 1.27 percent, entertainment and culture by 0.32 percent, clothing and footwear by 0.09 percent, while health and education expenditures both rose by 0.03 percent.
Only one category, restaurants and hotels, saw a decline with a 0.06 percent decrease.
Meanwhile, the Wholesale Price Index, which tracks wholesale price movements, rose by 2.30 percent in March following a 2.33 percent increase in February. The year-on-year change in March was 33.17 percent, with a 12-month average increase of 46.12 percent.
By sector, the highest annual average increase was seen in construction materials at 92.81 percent, followed by textiles at 71.96 percent, chemicals at 47.09 percent, foodstuffs at 43.70 percent, fuel and energy at 36.08 percent, unprocessed materials at 34.44 percent, and minerals at 30.02 percent.
Commenting on the updated methodology, Prof. Dr. Ege Yazgan, rector of İstanbul Bilgi University, said, “The main trends in TurkStat and İTO data now appear to be more aligned than before. This is what we expected following the update.”
TurkStat is scheduled to release its official national inflation data on Apr 3.
Many shopkeepers kept their shops closed in support of the boycott in İstanbul's Kadıköy. (Tuğçe Yılmaz/bianet)
A wave of protests sparked by the detention of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has evolved into a nationwide consumer boycott campaign led by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The CHP, which had already been calling for a boycott of companies and media outlets with close ties to the government, extended its efforts today with a nationwide “no shopping day” across Turkey.
The campaign was originally initiated by student groups, which have been at the forefront of ongoing protests over the past two weeks. CHP leader Özgür Özel publicly embraced the call yesterday, posting a message on social media highlighting that 301 individuals, mostly students, remain behind bars due to the protests and are spending the Eid al-Fitr holiday in prison.
“I wholeheartedly support the consumer boycott launched by our youth in response to this injustice against students, mothers, fathers, and siblings,” Özel wrote. “I invite everyone to join this boycott and use the power they hold as consumers. The nation is the true owner of the state.”
The boycott calls for avoiding all forms of spending, including grocery shopping, fuel purchases, dining out, online shopping, and bill payments.
Just for one day, just because we want to. Show who’s the boss," reads the poster promoting the boycott campaign, also shared by CHP leader Özel.
Mayor İmamoğlu, who was formally arrested on Mar 23 on corruption charges and declared the CHP’s presidential candidate after the party’s primary on the same day, has also supported the campaign. His lawyers have been posting his daily messages on social media from detention.
Small business owners have shown support in some areas, particularly in Kadıköy, a CHP stronghold in İstanbul, where many shopkeepers shuttered their stores in solidarity.
Nineteen publishing houses, including some of the country’s leading publishers, announced their support for the boycott, stating they would suspend all sales on Apr 2.
Recently, the CHP’s calls for boycotting pro-government companies led to the cancellation of performances by Norwegian singer Ane Brun and South African comedian Trevor Noah. Both events were organized by a company with alleged ties to the government.
A campaign is now underway urging the British rock band Muse to cancel its upcoming concert in Turkey for the same reason. DBL Entertainment, the event organizer, has since announced its withdrawal from all upcoming projects in response to the boycott pressure.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation against individuals promoting the boycott, citing alleged crimes of “inciting hatred and discrimination” and “provoking enmity and hostility among the public.”
Government officials have condemned the campaign, viewing it as a threat to Turkey’s business environment. Trade Minister Ömer Bolat labeled the boycott “a sabotage against the economy and national will” in a written statement. He called on the public to increase their shopping activity on Apr 2 and visited local merchants himself, sharing photos of his purchases on social media.
Bolat also suggested that companies experiencing commercial losses due to the boycott could pursue compensation through legal channels.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya alleged that the CHP's true aim was to incite domestic unrest and that “Israel is watching this with pleasure.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik accused Özel of “targeting Turkey’s social and political life just to protect his own leadership.”
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a government ally, said, “Boycotting is a right, occupation is a crime."
Erdoğan’s past boycotts
In response to criticism, opposition figures have pointed to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s own history of encouraging boycotts. Over the years, Erdoğan and senior government officials have called for boycotts of products from countries involved in diplomatic disputes with Turkey.
Since the Gaza war began on Oct 7, 2023, pro-government groups have been running boycott campaigns against various brands. Notably, Starbucks has been a target despite having no stores in Israel and not being boycotted by Palestinian groups.
Erdoğan also previously urged citizens not to buy iPhones during a diplomatic row with the US in 2018, when an American pastor was detained in Turkey. In 2020, he called for a boycott of French goods after French President Emmanuel Macron made anti-Islam remarks.
Last year, Erdoğan blamed supermarket chains for the skyrocketing food inflation and called for a boycott of those engaging in “price gouging.” He repeated similar remarks at the beginning of this year, urging citizens to avoid shopping at businesses that exploit consumers with high prices. (VK)
