Opposition’s economic boycott does not impact credit card spending on April 2

The one-day boycott of all shopping on Wednesday, by main opposition the Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozur Ozel over the detainment and arrest of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, appears to not have impacted credit card transactions across Türkiye.

Türkiye’s Interbank Card Center (BKM) has released data on card transactions, revealing that a total of ₺28 billion was spent on cards on April 2. Between 12 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the transaction volume reached ₺28 billion.

In comparison to other dates, on March 26, the total card spending was ₺28.9 billion, on March 19 it was ₺25.3 billion, on March 12 it stood at ₺24.5 billion, and on March 5, the figure was ₺27.3 billion.

Bank transactions and reporting timeline

Approximately 55% of all card transactions across Türkiye are processed through BKM, while transactions conducted through banks’ own systems are shared with BKM within five days. As such, the total data for card payments on April 2 will be reported no earlier than April 7.

The figures published by BKM are based on daily transaction data processed through BKM between 12 a.m. and 5 p.m., providing an overview of shopping activity during those specific hours.