Will it be rowing against the current or a key that unlocks the door? Examples of boycotts from around the world...

Throughout history, the boycott has been one of the most effective tools of civil resistance and disobedience movements. Ranging from consumption to taxes, and from investment to production, this form of nonviolent action has played a vital role in questioning the legitimacy of governments, intervening in economic structures, and demonstrating the power of the people.

Turkey has actually not been a stranger to the concept of the boycott. There have been times when groups opposed to the government organized boycotts at the grassroots level, and times when governments seeking to strengthen their hand in foreign policy called for boycotts.

The history of Turkey's first and most significant mass boycott dates back to December 1969. In those days, when the winds of '68 were blowing hard, the boycott organized under the leadership of the Teachers' Union of Turkey (TÖS) made a great impact. Before this date, a major struggle had been built regarding the personal rights of teachers. The Demirel Government, which incited the public against teachers, was effectively using TRT, the only channel of the period. In Kayseri alone, there was an attempt to burn 800 teachers.

TURKEY'S FIRST MASS BOYCOTT

Following these developments, TÖS issued a call on December 10, 1969, with the declaration "All Teachers to the Boycott!.." Since it was illegal for public servants to go on strike at that time, the word "boycott" actually represented overcoming this obstacle. More than 125 thousand teachers participated in the 4-day boycott, which was a very high rate considering that the number of teachers serving across the country was around 170 thousand.

Subsequently, many boycotts took place throughout the 1970s. Since the examples would exceed the scope of this article, it is useful to come to the 2000s. We saw the greatest example of Turkey's grassroots boycott organization in the Gezi Park protests. Since that day, boycott calls have been made countless times, sometimes by the public and sometimes by the AKP government.

So, how effective are boycotts in the ongoing struggles in the political arena?

There is a vast literature on this subject before us... There are many articles written on the topic by political scientists and thinkers such as Gene Sharp, Henry David Thoreau, Hannah Arendt, Jürgen Habermas, and Johan Galtung.

The work titled "Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict," written by Erica Chenoweth & Maria J. Stephan, delves deeply into many examples related to boycotts.

The book contains 323 examples, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott (USA) led by Rosa Parks, which made a splash in the world, Gandhi's salt march in India, and the BDS movement in Palestine.

EFFECTIVE BOYCOTT EXAMPLES

Let's take a brief look at examples of boycotts that yielded effective results:

Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos left his mark on the country's administration as both president and prime minister for nearly 20 years. Following the 1979 oil crisis, a major economic crisis began to be experienced in the country. The Catholic Church, trade unions, and grassroots organizations united against the corrupt structure of the regime. The Church became an important moral actor providing legitimacy to the opposition.

One of the most important elements of civil resistance was the public strikes called "Welgang Bayan." Public transport stopped, shops were closed, and a general strike was declared. In 1986, a comprehensive economic boycott campaign was launched against Marcos. Losing the elections that same year, Marcos did not want to leave power. However, the actions grew and the regime fell.

Chile: Many boycotts were also organized against General Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile with a dictatorship from 1973 to 1990. Indeed, as a result of Pinochet's economic policies, income inequality had increased, unemployment had risen, and the middle class had eroded. Trade unions, students, and activists were up in arms. In 1983, "Days of Protest" (Jornadas de Protesta Nacional) began against the regime. A major front was formed against companies close to the regime through consumer boycotts. In the 1988 referendum, about 55 percent of the votes were cast against the continuation of Pinochet's rule. By 1990, the regime had fallen.

South Africa: One of the most important actions in the fall of the Apartheid regime was boycotts. Products of brands supporting the regime were not consumed. Along with international solidarity, the global legitimacy of the regime was shaken. Musicians, artists, and athletes resisted appearing at events in South Africa. The "Defiance Campaign," which began especially in the 1980s, shook the regime. By 1990, thanks to boycotts and civil resistance, Nelson Mandela, who had been in prison for many years, was released, and a completely different South Africa was built.

In addition to these examples, the Milošević regime fell as a result of consumer boycotts and general strikes in Serbia, boycotts were effective in the collapse of the Mubarak regime in Egypt, and the Solidarność (Solidarity) movement in Poland achieved results.

ELEMENTS THAT BRING SUCCESS IN A BOYCOTT

Of course, not every boycott yielded results; it is important that boycotts declared against authoritarian regimes are enriched with peaceful, diverse, and creative political moves. However, when examining successful boycotts, it is noteworthy that elements such as "Widespread Participation," "Continuity," "Economic Targeting," "Ethical Legitimacy," and "International Solidarity" are vital.