Turkey welcomed 2022 in queues and said goodbye to it in queues
Turkish citizens who got used to waiting in line in 2021 due to corona virus precautions and HES code, formed long queues in 2022 due to the economic crisis. Down below was the state of the country in the queue from butter to bread, from social assistance to retirement, from hospitals to banks…
As the economic crisis deepened, 2022 became a year of lengthening queues. Low-income people waited longer in line in 2022 to get basic necessities, especially bread, oil, meat, at a discount. Retired citizens with insufficient salaries got in the queue for promotion (salaries via banks), oil for vehicles prior to hikes and much more while those whose money revaluated against Turkish lira flocked to Turkey,
Some of the reflections from a year spent with queues were as follows:
MINCED MEAT QUEUE
When the weight price of minced meat in the butcher rose to 150-200 liras, citizens formed queues in front of the Meat and Dairy Institution, supposed to sell minced meat for 89 liras per kg. There were those who took time off from their jobs to buy a kilo of meat cheaper, finish their morning shift and spend their only break in the meat queue before going to their second job, are 75 years old and stand in line by taking their stool…
“HIKE IS COMING” QUEUE
Before the huge hike in gasoline and diesel fuel, queues formed at fuel stations at many points of the country.
BREAD QUEUE
When bread prices became 5 liras in metropolitan cities and in many cities of Anatolia, citizens queued every day in front of “public bread kiosks” (municipalities) in order to buy it cheaper.
SUNFLOWER OIL QUEUE
Energy prices, increasing agricultural inputs and the exchange rate difference, as well as the Russian – Ukrainian war affected the stock and prices of sunflower oil. Citizens flocked to markets against the risk of running out of stocks and increasing prices even more.
“SOCIAL SUPPORT” QUEUE
The police and citizens of Şanlıurfa formed long queues in order to receive the 500 TL family social support benefit.
HOSPITAL APPOINTMEN QUEUE
While “TOP” state officials boasted about opening new and large hospitals, citizens waited in long queues to be examined.
PROMOTION QUEUE
When money lost much value due to inflation, pensioners began to renew promotions. The amount of promotions that banks gave to pensioners who brought their pension payments to them with the condition of staying for 3 years put pensioners in a queue in 2022.
DISCOUNT QUEUE
After the news on media, the top state official had ordered a discount of 30-40 percent to be made in state operated Agricultural Credit Cooperative markets. Hundreds of thousands of citizens struggling with livelihood difficulties and low purchasing power flocked to markets, every day (experiencing disappointment, unluckily).
PHARMACY QUEUE
The economic crisis led to a shortage of medicines in 2022. As we enter the new-year, 585 medicines are out of stock, 522 medicines are being sent limited. Especially with children’s antibiotics, antipyretic syrups, seasonal flu syrups, cough syrups, the problem continues to increase.
DEVALUED MONEY QUEUE
With the opportunity provided for Bulgarian citizens to enter Turkey without passports, they flocked to Edirne for shopping. Bulgarians who had the opportunity to see the value of the Turkish Lira at a historic low level filled the luggage of their vehicles and formed a queue of vehicles at the Kapikule Border Gate.
EYT QUEUE
After the announcement of the EYT (victims of delayed pension age) regulation, citizens who want to make transactions and get information formed long queues in front of SGK buildings.
TAXI QUEUE
Citizens in Istanbul had to wait in queue to find a taxi (with limited success obviously) for long periods – due to shortage of taxis in this city.
SOURCE: SOZCU.COM.TR (translated and edited by BTT)
