Higher food prices continue to weigh on Turkish households despite cooling inflation

by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- In the bustling open-air market of capital city Ankara's 100th Yil district, shoppers weave between stalls under a patchwork of canvas awnings, their eyes darting from price tags to their shopping lists.

The air is filled with the scent of ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, and melons stacked high, but customers' baskets remain light.

"We are buying less and less every week," said Zeki Arin, an architect in his early 60s, clutching a bag containing just a few vegetables.

"The current annual inflation rate is around 30 percent, however, the impact of inflation is much more pronounced in our experience," he lamented.

Despite the country's inflation rate gradually declining in accordance with a consistent downward trend, Turks are continuing to reel from elevated food prices.

Arin said his family's food purchases have been halved compared to a couple of years ago. "More and more, we buy what is the bare minimum and nothing else, sliced portions or by the piece rather than the kilogram."

"I have never seen an economic crisis so deep in my life. Food prices have doubled compared to the same period last year," he said.

According to official data, Türkiye's food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 28 percent year-on-year in July. This is below the headline annual inflation rate of 33.5 percent, the lowest in nearly four years, but food inflation remains a daily concern for millions of households.

"Citizens' purchasing power is not keeping pace with inflation, which remains very high despite the recent slowdown," Istanbul-based independent economist Mustafa Sonmez told Xinhua.

"Even if the official rate is declining, prices remain at a level that severely limits what ordinary people can buy. The gap between wages and prices is widening, and this is what is feeding public frustration," Sonmez said.

While policymakers forecast inflation could fall to around 24 percent by year's end, many consumers expressed concerns about persistent cost-of-living pressures.

"Food prices are very high," said Sevgi Binici, a retired teacher. "We wait until the late hours here because prices slightly drop in the evening."

"I want to be hopeful for my children and grandchildren, but I cannot stop worrying about how I am going to manage to put food on the table," she added.

Economists say the discrepancy between official inflation data and consumer sentiment stems partly from the way price changes affect different income groups.

Low-and middle-income households spend a larger share of their income on essentials like food and housing, categories that have seen some of the steepest increases in recent years, Sonmez explained.

"If something has doubled or tripled in price over the last few years, a slower increase now does not restore affordability," he said.■