48 percent price hike for bread: Here is the province...

With the start of the new year, price hike requests from many sectors have begun to reach the Unions of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen. Kemal Cingöz, President of the Edirne Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen, announced that local bakers in the city have also submitted a request for a price increase. Stating that they have received a request to increase the weight of bread from 210 grams to 220 grams and sell it for 15 Turkish Liras, up from the current 10 Liras, Cingöz said, "Although I find it high, I think it will be 15 TL for 220 grams."

"THE REQUEST REGARDING BREAD IS 15 TL"

Cingöz stated, "The request regarding bread is 15 TL for 220 grams. I found this high. In fact, this was requested while I was hospitalized. I stayed in the hospital for about 2 months. During that time, I told them to collect and bring the requests from other provinces as well. There were Bursa, Kocaeli, and 4-5 other provinces that requested 15 TL for 220 grams. I spoke with Bursa today, and they stated that as of today, they have started implementing 15 TL for 220 grams. Our request is the same. I suppose it will be the same for us, but I think this process will take until March or so. We will send this request to the Ministry, and the Ministry is obliged to respond within a month according to the new circular, which the Ministry will definitely reject, and we will send it again. Another month will pass like that. It will see the beginning of March for the price to take effect, but although I find it high, I think it will be 15 TL for 220 grams. In Istanbul, it is currently 12.5 TL for 200 grams, and I think that is the most reasonable price. If the increase I mentioned happens here, it comes to about 48 percent. Besides this, there are barbers and hairdressers who also requested a price hike. Their request is also 40 percent," he said.

"SOME TRADESMEN RAISED PRICES BEFORE THE NEW YEAR"

Cingöz also stated that tradesmen in some sectors had already started raising prices before the new year, saying, "I think they made the hikes before the new year. In other words, I think this 30 percent hike was made before the new year. The hikes to be made now are extra. Before I was hospitalized, I was buying a whole chicken for 180 liras. After I was discharged from the hospital, I had it bought for 240 TL; the increase exceeds 30 percent. Even if not all of them, some tradesmen raised prices before the new year. Will they do it again now or not? We will see when we buy products," he said.