Food prices in Turkey continued to rise in October, marking the third straight month of increases that have deepened public frustration over the cost of living.
The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) said Friday that its Food Price Index rose 2.7 percent month on month and 32.3 percent year on year in October. The think tank noted that the upward trend in food inflation has now persisted for three months, showing no sign of easing.
Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan have blamed high food prices for the failure of their economic program to bring inflation down. However, critics say the problem lies in government policy itself, pointing to years of market intervention, weak agricultural planning and a currency that keeps losing value.
Figures from TÜRK-İŞ, a major labor confederation that monitors household spending, showed a 1.58 percent monthly rise and a 39 percent annual increase in “kitchen inflation,” a measure of basic grocery costs for an average family.
TEPAV said the sharpest price increases in October were seen in cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage, while lettuce, parsley and arugula became cheaper. Outside the fresh produce category, prices rose for cocoa-based powdered drinks, wheat flour and spices, while cakes, offal and bulgur fell slightly.
Food inflation has become one of the clearest signs of Turkey’s cost of living crisis. Despite government claims that its tight monetary policy will restore stability, the country continues to post some of the highest inflation rates among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).