The country's 'morality' problem and the 'tourism tradesmen' swatting flies

What Demirel said about the issue of inflation during the “Leaders Speak” program on TRT before the 1991 elections is back on the agenda.

In that speech, he said, “Inflation is essentially an event that destroys states. It is an event that corrupts nations from within. Inflation is not just a matter of high prices. It corrupts morality; those who have debts do not pay them, and those who are owed money cannot collect it. It opens the way to almost everything from theft and robbery to prostitution. It is an event that corrupts the fabric of society. That is why Westerners call inflation public enemy number one. They call it a one-armed monster. The West is extremely wary of inflation.”

These words of Demirel, which serve as a lesson to fledgling politicians, have been circulating on social media for some time.

This is because, for almost the last three years, we have been in a crisis that deepens every day as Tayyip has turned the country upside down by saying “interest is the cause, inflation is the result” in order to transfer capital to the political Islamist minority—at the expense of destroying the middle class.

Inflation and the high cost of living have hit us so hard that it has shaken us to our very core.

Since 2002, we have been anchored to mediocrity, or even below mediocrity, in every sense—politically, socially, economically, and morally.

Now we are facing an extremely profound moral collapse.

Neither in politics, nor in trade, nor in our social relations do our old “moral norms” remain.

Today, while the Islamist minority fed by the government enjoys being the “privileged class” by eating Dragon Fruit Smoothies with Chia seeds, Efuli Aloe Vera with Starex fruit, Circassian Chicken in profiteroles, Ginger Salmon Sushi, Hummus in tartlets, and Sesame Sea Bass rings at Palace invitations, the vast majority of my country's people live at the hunger threshold.

We are at the point where we confirm the saying attributed to the powerful voice of French literature, Albert Camus: “When a man is starving, he will even eat his own beliefs.”

I have been carefully following the posts on social media recently regarding tourism businesses and tourism tradesmen.

Bills, receipts, checks... It is unbelievable.

About a month ago, a social media user who went on vacation to Cunda Island in Ayvalık received a bill of 10 thousand 380 TL at the restaurant where they ate. We understand from the “cover charge” item and the “ocean delight” on the restaurant's receipt that there were 6 people at the table.

In other words, there is a bill of around 2 thousand liras per person, including tips.

It might not seem like much to the nouveau riche who fall for the “Raki, fish, Ayvalık” slogan, but the price this restaurant charged for a single Sea Bream fish is exactly 4 thousand TL. (You read that right, four thousand TL)

However, if you go to the Wednesday Market in Edremit, the price of line-caught Sea Bream from Baba Burnu varies between 250-300 TL per kilo. Let's say they put this massive fish in front of the customer and sold it for three times its cost.

It would be at most 900 TL. Let's say a thousand...

What is 4 thousand TL all about!

Anyway, almost all prices are like this in Ayvalık Cunda, where those who couldn't make it to Bodrum end up. Unfortunately, the tradesmen set prices by thinking, “How can we fleece whoever comes?” For example, if you ate mastic cookies and drank homemade lemonade as a family at a famous patisserie on the island, the damage is at least 700-800 TL. If you said you aren't into mastic cookies and homemade lemonade, and you craved a glass of chilled red wine, you should be prepared to part with at least 400-500 TL. Yet, even the bottles of these wines are sold in the market for at most half the price of a glass.

If Cunda is like this, is Macaron in the center of Ayvalık any different? You pay nearly a thousand TL for four people to have a pudding and a basil syrup each. And 200 TL for an Ayvalık toast that costs at most 30 TL to make...

When they don't look at the quality of the service they provide and only think about fleecing domestic tourists and vacationers, the people of my country naturally withdraw from restaurants, cafes, and tea gardens.

The tables are not as full as they used to be. People walk along the promenade, perhaps pouring tea from the thermos they brought with them, and then head back to their homes or pensions.

Those who have some money in their pockets and don't want to be ripped off in Turkey hop on the ferry and head to Mytilene to stay cheaper, eat better and more abundant food, and receive better service.

Especially after the gate visa application was implemented, people are queuing in front of Ayvalık Port.

In other words, the situation is that “the monkey's eyes have been opened.”

When the number of people to be ripped off decreased, a statement was made to a social media account on behalf of the Ayvalık tradesmen: “We are swatting flies. National capital is flowing to the Greeks, not to our shops. If this continues, we will close down and leave.”

We don't know who aimed for what with this statement, but the reactions on social media are like an avalanche.

The comments made by the people of my country are as remarkable as to be the subject of social psychology theses.

Those who say “serves them right” are in the majority.

Those who curse, saying “may it be forbidden, may the money they take be poison,” are not to be underestimated either.

Let's write down some of them...

“Okay, but you asked for this yourselves.”

“If you don't treat domestic tourists like human beings and victimize them with exorbitant prices, this is what would happen. I hope they get even worse.”

“After charging 4 thousand TL for a single Sea Bream, you cannot ask why people are going to Greece.”

“Man, you charge 1050 TL for a pastry, then you say Ayvalık tradesmen are finished, let the Greek visa be lifted, etc. Why, so you can continue to fleece the citizens?”

“Pure cunning, pure shamelessness. Is the nation going to spend the money they saved for months for vacation just so you can treat them like fools? Immediately, homeland and nation demagoguery. Is the nation the culprit? The culprits are standing right there. Why don't you say a few sentences about that?”

With the reflection of these and similar reactions on the market, the situation and conditions must have manifested in an extremely unfavorable manner, as the Ayvalık Chamber of Commerce has gone into alarm mode.

They are now asking citizens waiting in line to go to Mytilene about their travel purposes, reasons for preference, number of days of stay, whether they stayed in Ayvalık during their transit, and their complaints and suggestions regarding the services provided.

The results of the survey study will be shared with the relevant institutions.

We don't know what measures will be taken afterwards or if any measures will be taken at all, but this is a result of the moral destruction that the political Islamist mentality has created in the country for 22 years.

In other words, the issue is not local; it is political in a way that concerns us all!

If Ayvalık is like this, are Antalya, Fethiye, Marmaris, Bodrum, Alaçatı, and Çeşme any different? Of course not.

The streets, beaches, restaurants, and cafes are not packed as they used to be, and the customer who happens to walk in does everything they can to avoid being ripped off.

It seems that the enthusiasm of those who were bent on recklessly fleecing domestic and foreign tourists this summer season has been cut short.

Turkey's world-brand tourism resorts may not be dying, but the trouble is extremely great.

Just yesterday, images of a kiosk owner who charged a foreign tourist 1,200 TL for a glass of pomegranate juice were reflected on social media.

The foreign tourist realized they were being ripped off and applied to the police. The police came and solved the issue, ensuring that 1,000 TL of the foreign tourist's money was returned. But they didn't ask who would pay the bill for this disgrace that emerged for Turkish tourism!

Let us conclude our article by emphasizing that as long as the country is not rid of the political Islamist mentality, it is impossible to prevent this moral collapse that manifests itself in every segment of society.