Mehmet Zarif Kesiciler has been a market trader in Ankara for 30 years. In an interview with ANF, he explained that rising producer prices, price increases and falling real incomes mean that they are confronted with many problems as traders. “The market trader profession is slowly dying,” he said.

Traders experienced the crisis first-hand because they belong to a profession that deals directly with the people living in the area. Their sales have also declined with the falling purchasing power. "We have no chance of earning money if people don't have the necessary purchasing power," says Kesiciler, adding: "Prices are high, people's salaries are not enough, the costs of producers have risen, so we are also facing increasing costs problems. Market selling is a difficult profession. We are a professional group that works with the poorer population. With rising inflation and the production conditions in this country, there is no way that anything could become cheaper.”

The real reasons for the crisis are not named

The deep economic crisis cannot simply be solved. Above all, the causes of the crisis must be explained to the public. “15 percent of people in Turkey live on social benefits. Therefore, the people feel dependent on the government. 15-20 percent of the AKP's votes come from people living below the poverty line. The existence of hunger and poverty is a sign of bad governance. In a country where there is peace, democracy and justice, there will be no crisis.”

Due to high production costs, prices cannot go down

Keseciler said that they try to earn a living through their work. It is wrong to present culprits without getting to the root of the problem, he said, adding: "If you include the fixed costs of the market traders, such as rent, transport and labor, the goods cannot be sold below these prices. Economists report from their desks. Have you ever bought and sold two kilos of tomatoes? The government is just looking for scapegoats. For a while, they blamed the retailers and outlets for government-regulated prices that opened. At that time, they blamed the shopkeepers. Now they want to bring out a new 'wholesale law'. As described, prices have no chance of falling. On the contrary, they can only rise. While it is now possible to bring goods directly from farm to consumer, it will then only be possible to buy from consignment offices. That encourages monopoly. This is the fault of those who run the economy. If the manufacturing cost of a product cannot be reduced, then there is no way to sell it cheaply.”

Economic policy must change

Kesiciler pointed out that before the crisis they would have earned twice a civil servant's salary, but in the current conditions it is very difficult to make money. “Agricultural policy must change. Either they increase the income of the buyers or they support the producers with subsidies and thus lower the price. Everything else is pointless. People's purchasing power must be increased. This country is in dire need of change, but justice is needed most. Justice is needed in all areas of life.”