Even though the government says ‘Normalization has begun’, prices are increasing everywhere, from the market to the pump: The wave of price hikes is growing

While discussions continue on how much the 11 thousand 402 lira minimum wage will be in the new year, inflation in the citizens’ shopping basket has already exceeded 100 percent.

Even though the economic management of the AKP government asks for patience from the citizens at every opportunity and says that “normalization” has begun in pricing behavior, the citizens’ shopping basket is increasing every month. While prices in the shopping basket created and regularly monitored by Cumhuriyet increased by 10.75 percent in just two months, pastry shops announced successive increases in flour prices. Fuel prices also increased once again.

Inflation reports of the Central Bank and the statements of the Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, frequently emphasize that pricing behavior has returned to normal. It is even stated that there are declines in some products and services from time to time. However, there is no decrease reflected in the citizens. On the contrary, label changes continue to occur almost every week. While the Republic’s shopping cart was filled to 1262 lira on December 14, 2022, this amount reached 2 thousand 534 lira on December 19, 2023, with an increase of 100.79 percent. The same basket was filled for 2 thousand 288 liras two months ago. The two-month inflation of the basket was 10.75 percent. A kilo of cheese, which was sold for 245 liras in October, is now sold for 330 liras. Minced meat worth 325 lira per kilo is sold for 379 lira, beef worth 386 lira is sold for 479 lira, beans per kilo worth 69 lira is sold for 86 lira.

FLOUR BURNED THE PASTRY

In addition to market shelves, there are also price increases in bread, bagels and pastries. Industry members stated that the cost increases they expected after the new year have already arrived. Selçuk Akdağ, who runs a pastry shop in Şişli, said that they buy flour every 15 days and the price of a 50-kilogram sack, which is currently 800 lira, has increased by an average of 20 lira each time. Stating that there will be a 50-60 lira increase in the flour they will buy this week, Akdağ said, “We are having a hard time reflecting this increase on the sales price. He said, “I have to buy flour and open this shop, but if the customer bought one portion yesterday, he buys half a portion today and argues with us for the price increase.” Another tradesman drew attention to the following point: “Flour has increased by nearly 20 percent, shop owners are forcing us, sesame prices are also increasing, and labor costs will also increase. “Unfortunately, if these cost increases continue after January, pastry and pastry prices will increase by 20-30 percent.”

On the other hand, increases in fuel oil, which is an important input in the production of all these, continued. Effective as of last night, the price of gasoline has increased by 1 lira and 49 kuruş. With this increase, gasoline prices increased to 34.52 TL in Istanbul, 35.19 TL in Ankara and 35.38 TL in Izmir.