The inauguration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to take place this Saturday, June 3, less than a week after his victory in the second round of the presidential election. Among the most urgent projects for the Turkish president, the fight against inflation and the rescue of the national currency, which threatens to collapse. An economic and monetary crisis that worries more and more financial circles and Turkish entrepreneurs.
With our special correspondent in Istanbul, Daniel Vallot
Ferhat Akyavuz is only 28 years old, but he already manages two restaurants in the suburbs of Istanbul. A business that initially worked very well before colliding head-on with the economic crisis and soaring prices.
” In two years, I had to multiply my prices by five. The prices of the products I use keep going up. So, if I want to survive, I have to do the same. But people don’t have enough money “, he explains.
But, in Turkey, it is especially the small entrepreneurs who are in difficulty. Business remains excellent for those who are export-oriented. Like this industrialist from the Istanbul region: “ The weakness of the Turkish lira is good for exports! For example, we have developed a garden sofa… well, we are almost the same price as China. That means that Turkey at the moment is competitive! »
” We get out of it, but it’s true that for others it’s more difficult. And if the Turkish lira continues to fall, then for sure it will make people less purchasing power “, he concludes.
For Fehrat Akyavuz, the situation is indeed much less brilliant… The young entrepreneur fears having to close one of his two restaurants if prices continue to rise.