INFLATION TOPS FORECASTS AS QUESTIONS RISE OVER ŞİMŞEK’S PROGRAM
Consumer prices rose more than expected in October, ending a four-month decline in annual inflation and prompting questions whether Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek’s program is working.
Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Consumer prices rose more than expected in October, ending a four-month decline in annual inflation and prompting questions whether Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek’s program is working.
Authorities have launched a judicial operation against major produce distributors, detaining scores of executive-level figures for artificially inflating wholesale fruit and vegetable prices amid high food inflation.
The Turkish government has temporarily eliminated the special consumption tax on diesel fuel for the remainder of August in an effort to curb inflation. Pump prices fell by more than 13 percent a day after the government’s decision on Aug. 12.
Before Twitter, there was the tellal: the Ottoman town crier. Walking and shouting past the wooden houses of the empire, he announced fermans (imperial edicts), grain prices, and fresh recruitments for the wars to come. Among these more theatrical criers was the felaket tellalı—literally, “disaster crier.” Think of him as a roaming mashup of breaking news, folk panic, and your neighbourhood uncle who thinks every cloud means war.
The government program against soaring prices faced a significant setback when new data revealed that inflation is already on the verge of exceeding year-end targets in the first four months of 2026.
The government’s efforts to cool down the Turkish economy are falling short as rising energy prices and deteriorating market confidence push inflation targets out of reach.
Turkey has reintroduced the “sliding scale mechanism” to prevent dramatic pump hikes from feeding inflation after the Iranian War pushed global oil prices higher.
At the turn of the year, a familiar ritual repeats itself in Turkey. Gyms raise their membership fees. Tradespeople adjust their prices. Real estate agents pocket higher commissions by systematically pushing up sale prices. Hardly anyone objects. Hardly anyone asks what added value is being offered. Price hikes are taken for granted — not because products have improved, but because inflation exists.
Turkey has risen to become one of the world’s top tourism destinations, welcoming over 56 million international visitors in 2023. Its appeal lies in a rare combination of sun-soaked beaches, rich cultural heritage, world-class cuisine, and warm hospitality—all easily accessible from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. But as prices surge and market dynamics shift, industry insiders warn the sector may be heading toward a critical inflection point.