To all Friends and Comrades around the World,
Following the arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul on March 19th and the ensuing demonstrations, students in Turkey have called for a boycott of universities. Following this, a call for boycotting pro-Erdoğan brands and institutions has started—led by students and developed by the opposition. While most mentioned companies operate in Turkey, some are also active within the international community.
Most importantly Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), the state’s TV and radio channel, is entirely instrumentalized by the Erdoğan regime. TRT World in particular, and some other branches of TRT, have gained a following for their coverage of the genocide in Palestine. This is in complete contrast with the propaganda used to sustain the oppression of all minorities and opposition groups in Turkey; they regularly attack women and LGBTIQ+ groups in Turkey, the Kurdish opposition, workers’ organizations, unions, and so forth.
Erdoğan, while rhetorically using the Palestinian plight for his benefit and profit, does not shy away from aiding Israel: Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) goes to Israeli occupation through Turkey to fuel the ongoing genocide. Moreover, nine activists from the 1000 Youth for Palestine (Filistin İçin 1000 Genç) initiative who voiced dissent regarding this issue at a TRT World event have been detained in Turkey, and two of them, who are Palestinian, are facing charges to be deported from the country.
We invite you to unfollow TRT and its affiliates from social media and block them to limit their reach. Since the target companies and channels of the boycott were announced, the importance of the call has already been proven economically and politically. Companies are losing their stock value, and the targeted media is desperately trying to prove their innocence. Join us to put pressure on TRT!
All dictators everywhere must fall!