Khaberni - Turks, especially those with limited income, are forced to buy goods from Greece due to inflation, high prices, and poverty, despite the hardships of the road and the cost of the visa.
In a report published by "Bloomberg," Turks have begun to turn to buying basic goods such as food from Greece, specifically from the coastal city of Alexandroupolis which is about 40 kilometers from Istanbul, as a result of inflation and the rising prices of these goods in Turkey.
According to the agency, Turks resort at least once a month to the Greek city for the purpose of shopping and buying basic items such as cheese and olive oil and other food products at a cheap cost compared to prices in their country, with most affirming that basic goods in Greece are much cheaper than those they would buy from Turkish stores.
With the high prices and inflation rates in Turkey, cross-border shopping has become routine for many who have discovered that the rising prices of foodstuffs in Turkey make Greece a suitable alternative, so much so that some have started sharing their experience on social media to encourage more Turks to try this shopping experience.
"Atom" buses depart on Friday night each week and arrive in Alexandroupolis the next morning, where Turkish customers spend three and a half hours in the supermarket followed by a tour of the city and some free time, according to the company's website. By noon, the group returns back to Turkey.
Bloomberg mentioned that the prices of many everyday products at "Lidl" in Alexandroupolis, for example, are significantly cheaper than in "Carrefour" stores in Turkey, although some basic products still have better prices in Turkey. For example, the price of a kilogram of ground meat in Greece is 9.36 euros ($10.8) compared to 12.10 euros in Turkey, while beef sausage is sold at about half the Turkish price. "Gouda" cheese and "Kinder" chocolate are roughly a third of their price on the other side of the border.
The Turkish central bank announced last Friday that it expects inflation to end this year above the 30% mark, before dropping to almost half by the end of 2026.
With increasing price pressures on families, the main opposition party in Turkey, the "Republican People's Party," accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of forcing Turks to travel abroad just to fill their kitchen pantries.
Ozgur Ozal, leader of the "Republican People's Party," said a few days ago, "After 23 years, this is the state of the country that Erdogan is proud of," referring to the economic crisis the country has been suffering for years.
