As the euphoria of a municipal election drubbing for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ebbs, Turks are left watching their wallets with inflation that has sapped the longtime leader's appeal driving up costs for everyday basics.vows austerity measures and the central bank hikes rates, price growth"is not stopping, it's going up", said economist Murat Sagman, founder of Sagam Strategy Advisory.
"In the market, one price in the morning, another price in the evening. I can't make a living if I sell this corn at a cheaper price," said Osman Karakoc, 64, selling grilled cobs for 30 lira apiece from a small cart outside a mosque at Istanbul's Egyptian Market.Erdogan, in power since 2003, was once feted for Turkey's economic success story, but in recent years it has become his Achilles heel.
But the monetary authority lists other factors still feeding inflation, including a weak lira currency -- down 40 percent against the dollar in a year -- a massive jump in the minimum wage in January and surging costs forThe government must follow through on its promises to slash spending to flank the central bank's efforts to slow price growth, Sagman said.
"We will do whatever is necessary until we reach our goal of price stability, which is our top priority," Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said Wednesday.Many browsing the stalls piled high with olives, fish, cheese and spices were pensioners living on incomes of around 10,000 lira per month. The couple showed off two small plastic bags of shopping they said had cost them 3,000 lira, with items including 100 grammes of coffee and toys for their granddaughter.until Turks next vote for their president in 2028, offering a window for potentially painful steps to restrain price growth.
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