Highest inflation in 15 years: prices for some products have increased by 800%

After conducting raids on wholesale food markets in five provinces of the country, the Turkish authorities have detected an extreme increase in prices. Prices for some products went up by as much as 800%, writes “Agro-Center”.

According to official data, prices for eggplants, cucumbers and tomatoes increase by 81%, 53% and 39%, respectively, each month. Today, inflation in Turkey has reached its highest level since 2004.

There are several reasons for this moderate increase in prices, in particular:
– a rapid depreciation of lira in August, which increased the cost of import and transportation of food;
– recent floods in Antalya (however, Minister of Finance Berat Albayrak rejected this version, saying that only a part of the greenhouses wreas damaged).

“The government is going to suppress those who terrorize food markets as soon as possible – just as we suppressed terrorists in the caves,”

said Erdogan on television on Sunday, February 10th.

In order to overcome such the increase in prices, the government plans to withdraw intermediaries from a trading chain by buying vegetables directly from farmers and selling them at decreased prices. In order to force dealers to lower prices, the municipalities of Ankara and Istanbul will open dozens of shops with cheaper vegetables. Erdogan said vegetables will be sold at a cost price.