In Istanbul's Sultangazi district, the traditional stronghold of President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party, dozens of people waited to buy bread at stalls run by the city government.
"We have to count every one, five, 10, 20 lira," said Ozcan Kethuda, 50, after buying bread for his family. He blamed the government for the trouble.
"The government must change because for 20 years there has been the same system," he said. "Most people here might say 'long live my sultan', but that period is over. Those who, along with me, voted for the AK Party also faced difficulties."
Another resident, Ramazan Kambay, said his family's economic situation had deteriorated sharply. They used to live on 1,000 lira a week, half of it on food. With the fall of the lira, it was no longer sufficient for their needs.
"If you get 1,000 a week, it's not enough," he said. "Who should we blame for this?"
For Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is seen as a potential challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan, the queues illustrate what he says is not just an economic crisis but also a government failure, pointing to the need for political change.
The city government sells bread for 1.25 lira, or about half the price in a regular bakery. Every day 1.5 million loaves of bread are prepared to meet demand. But he says the queue shows this is not enough.
"This shows very clearly poverty. People don't like waiting in line to buy bread," Imamoglu told Reuters in an interview at his office in central Istanbul. Next Erdogan asks people to be patient
In November 2021, the lira lost about 30% of its value, while official annual inflation jumped to 21.3%, after the central bank cut interest rates to 15% from 19% since September under pressure from Erdogan.
According to an Istanbul city government, the cost of living has soared 50% in a year, with rents rising 71% and many household goods prices soaring between 75% and 138%.
"The current process is not just an economic crisis. I want to underline that this is a political crisis," Imamoglu said.
President Tayyip Erdogan said Turks should be patient and trust the government's new economic model, in which he has prioritized economic growth, investment and exports along with low interest rates.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan said he was confident that the price hikes stemming from rising energy costs would stabilize soon. "We aim for lasting prosperity, lasting stability," he said, Wednesday, December 8, 2021.
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