Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Turkey Related Subjects => Turkey Discussion Forum (Not Calis specifically) => Topic started by: milliemars on January 16, 2010, 19:05:12 PM
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Has anyone else noticed the increase in food prices.We went to UK for 2 weeks and the price increases are amazing.I know taxs were increased in January.Bim today 60kurus on 1 pkt butter 25k on milk and minced beef has gone up 5tl in Migros. Efes also up by 2 to 3 tl.:(
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Talking to some Turkish friends today and they were very unhappy about the very large increases in the price of meat over the past 6 months. They understand the reason for these increases is that Turkey is exporting highly subsidized meat to other middle eastern countries. The subsidy is collected from the people of Turkey with higher meat prices. Due to the poor state of the Turkish economy the hard foreign currency earned from the meat sale is very well received by the Turkish treasury.
This year many families did not sacrifice a sheep or a goat at Bayram because they could not afford to buy the animal. A couple of years ago goats were about 250TL. This Bayram a goat cost 750 to 850TL.
The staff in a supermarket that we shop in were telling me that they or their families can no longer afford to buy meat and chicken. They now generally eat a veggie diet. One of the staff said that he gets paid 612TL and he and his wife and young child have to live off that amount. He cannot buy much steak at 32TL a kilo.
Most Turks are not happy with their lot at the moment and there are more and more calls for a general election.
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I can understand if we find the increases high they must do,what with the increases in electric etc it does make me wonder how they can live,it seems it is basics that the prices are increasing on by ridiculous amounts.
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came over to the uk for new year and can tell you everything is a lot cheaper over here than turkey,our two week holiday may end up being two months,i dont know how many turks can afford to shop in migros most prices are higher than what you pay in the uk,and as for clothes cheaper and better quality in the uk.
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Yep, I remember the 5 T shirts for a tenner of Calis market - actually I remember 7 - not just a great price but you'd buy for the brilliant quality too. Sadly the quality has long since gone abut the price hasn't. I can buy better quality cheaper in any number of places, including online now.
As for food, it's hard to buy one here anymore and not get one free :D
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I remember 12 t shirts for a tenner when we moved over and very good quality, not the same anymore, poor quality and expensive.
One of the reasons is credit
When we first came nobody had a credit card, all the cars you saw were very old and either white or old taxis yellow. The corner shop had a book with your debt written down, (our corner shop still does for locals)
I went to Bim a few weeks ago, the guy in front of me paid 3.12tl on his credit card, surely he must have had that in change, a few years ago that would never have happened, probably gonna cost him more in interest. But thats the state of the world unfortunately
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Unfortunately there are many people here living off their credit cards through the winter as they simply have no money to support themselves. Everything has gone up here...food, petrol, electricity, water, gas, cigarettes, alcohol, taxes etc....hubby and I are seriously considering our options at the moment. Slightly off topic...but who is going to be the 1st to complain when the bars put the price of Efes up????
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I am sure I read that the pension for a man in Turkey is 600lira a month.
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Only if they have contributed the full amount monthly through tho whole of their working life...if there is a shortfall, they won't release any of the pension funds.
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I'm surprised people are so surprised. You only have to look at Turkey's inflation (consumer prices) history to know that prices can fluctuate madly. In 2000 it was running at 65%!! There was a big drop from 2003 to 2005 and it got into single figures in 2008. 2009 shows 10.4% and it will be reflected in prices.
It sounds like 2010 has got off to a bad start but hey - at least you ex-pats are getting more than the 1% I'm getting for my bank investments in the UK.
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So why don't you move them :)[?]
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Because I don't have enough to warrant it ;)
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It's interesting to read that some families are existing on a meat free diet because of prices. As it was explained to me, the reason we are able to enjoy so many amazing vegetable mezes and dishes is very much due to the fact that traditionally meat was rarely found in 'everyday' meals. Because vegetables made up nearly all meals, the dishes we enjoy today were born out of the necessity to make the best of them in terms of taste and variety.
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In the 7 years we have been going there I can not ever recall meat being cheap. A good quality steak for our barbie costs roughly the same as it does in the UK - if not slightly more. I'm talking Migros or Carrefore here.
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Getting ready for the Euro????????????
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I think what people who live here are noticing that prices have shot up by much more than the rate of inflation. For example,in Migros four months ago steak was around around 25TL a kilo,today the same cut of steak would cost you 32TL a kilo nearly a third more.Chicken 7 or 8TL is now 10 to 12TL. A kilo of mince which is one of the most basic meats you can buy is about 25TL a kilo. The rate of inflation is about 10 percent so these price rises are 3 times the rate of inflation.
Turks have never been total vegetarians and meat does play some part in the Turkish diet. Turks never ate meat 7 days a week but what they are now saying that the common meat dishes that they made two or three times a week have to go because they cannot afford to buy meat and along with all the other price increases the budget wont stretch.
The expected rise in beer is going to be about 0.5TL and only half that rise can be attributed to tax. The rest is Efes jumping on the bandwagon.
On an income of 600TL a month it is very difficult to survive. Around 7 million Turks are unemployed and do not get state handouts like the UK. One of the main saving graces is the strong family unit where all are expected to help out. The Turkish tradesmen who would quote extortionate prices to foreigners are feeling the pinch and it is possible to get a painter to painting for 50TL a day and he can start tomorrow.
In the next few months the conditions of this new IMF loan will be introduced. The first condition will result in another hike in energy prices as the IMF thinks Turkeys electricity is too cheap.
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How the IMF can think electric prices are too cheap here is a joke - I know people paying 250tl a month and more just for electric so more than £1200 a year.
The IMF also wants Turkey to drop the minimum wage which is by law 550tl a month...
Great help - not! :-\
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I know Turkish people who would be glad to earn any wage,especially during the winter months.
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250 lira a monthfor electricity in the summer months seems a lot of money. I can understand the winter months being that amount.
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I had a chat with Dogan and he says wages in the season start from around 600tl pm (waiters/dishwashers) to 5000tl pm (managers/head chefs in places like Help & Buzz Bar.
Most people here earn about 800 to 1000tl pm for 6 months a year
Staff accomodation and staff meals are usually provided and the quality of these varies.
Waiters have their wages topped up by (our) tips so this is very important for them. Last year it was a common topic of conversation that people weren't leaving tips like they used too (economic recession etc) because it makes such a big difference to them.
When I lived in the UK I thought it was a bloomin' cheek that business owners paid low wages in, for example restaurants where we customers topped up wages through tips.
Now I live here I am more sympathetic and always leave a decent tip.
Many people who often come here from rural parts of Turkey, work here seasonally to support their entire family for the year.
The way I see it is tipping a little from me and you can make a huge difference and can go a long way to giving something back to the people that help make our time here so memorable.
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I am intrigued by the goat pricing which appears to be artificially manipulated if it is costing more than a months wages.
I know the government do loan schemes here so that families can buy goats for milk cheese etc. but the quoted price above is extortionately high compared to other markets.
In the Uk half a lamb from the farm shop is about £80