Protests following the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu have expanded into widespread boycott campaigns. Recently, social media users initiated a boycott against DBL Entertainment, a company led by Abdülkadir Özkan, after Özkan publicly labeled those boycotting the EspressoLab coffee chain as “traitors” on his social media.
As backlash intensified, social media activists decided to extend the boycott to
DBL Entertainment's upcoming
Muse concert in Istanbul, reaching out directly to performing artists to inform them of the controversy. After being informed, musician Ane Brun canceled her scheduled performance, stating, “I was not aware of it, I support the students.” Similarly, renowned comedian
Trevor Noah also canceled his planned show in Istanbul.
Facing continued criticism, Özkan attempted to clarify his stance on social media, claiming he had been misunderstood. However, the boycott efforts persisted. Eventually, Özkan announced that DBL Entertainment would withdraw from all ongoing projects, stating, “We are withdrawing from all projects so that what happened in this process does not negatively affect my teammates and our projects.”
DBL Entertainment is part of Dolmabahçe Basın Yayın Dağıtım Reklam ve Organizasyon Anonim Şirketi (Dolmabahçe A.Ş.), which also manages brands including Publico Coffee, GSA Defense, Kopernik Kitap, the monthly defense publication M5, Spor Alemi Magazine, and Localworks Creative Solutions.
Furthermore, reports have surfaced revealing that Dolmabahçe A.Ş. has not fulfilled its tax obligations for the past three years. Despite generating significant revenue, the company reportedly did not pay any taxes in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Previously, Özkan held positions such as Press Consultant at Turkey's Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of National Education, and served as Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister in 2015.
Abdülkadir Özkan
