The normalisation of relations between Russia and Turkey after last year’s jet crisis, have caused fruit and vegetables prices in the country to inflate. Fruit and vegetable broker, Mehmet Ozturk, based in Batman, eastern Turkey, explains that some prices have increased by 100 percent. ''Tomato prices have gone from 1TL to 2TL. Watermelon was 50 kurus a kilo, now it’s increased to 1TL. Other products have also seen an increase.’’
Tomatoes should be cheap in the summer, but the opposite situation has occurred, explains Ozturk, ''Tomatoes are supposed to cost 70 kurus. Because of the improvement in relations, demand for exports is expected. For this reason tomato prices aren’t being reduced.’’
Another broker explains that this price phenomenon is not unique to Batman, over the whole of Turkey, fruit and vegetable prices have increased.
(1 Turkish Lira=0.30 Euro)
Source: turkiyegazetesi.com