ZEYNEP PEHLİVAN

İzmir- I listened to those who say, “You have to go to marketplaces in order to understand the economic situation in a country” and visited Hatay Marketplace, while it was snowing in İzmir province. In Turkey, the hunger threshold is 2,500 TL, and the poverty threshold is about 8,000 TL for this reason unfortunately people no longer return from marketplaces to their homes happy. Due to the increasing prices of fruits, vegetables, and basic food products, people hardly cook something in their homes. According to market prices, prices increased by 2.5 percent in just one year. The sellers in marketplaces are unhappy because of the increasing prices.

“Supermarkets earn”

Increasing income inequality, the economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic affect people negatively. People living in Turkey have been stuck in the middle of these negativities. Ceylan Cihan tries to earn a living by selling carrots and greens in the marketplace and she says;

“I have come to this marketplace along with my mother as long as I remember. I haven’t faced such a period before. A kilo of carrots is 1.50 TL but I can sell it for 1 TL. I can sell herbs to my regular customers. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have regular customers. I cannot sell fruits because of their high prices. Only supermarkets earn not us. I live in Acarlar village of Aydın’s İncirliova district. We leave our house at 1 am to come here. We arrive in the marketplace at 4 am. Despite all these efforts and difficulties, we work for peanuts,” said Ceylan Cihan.

Partial lockdown for people over 65 affects their work

Ayşe Aslan, who learns a living by selling olives in the marketplace for a long time, said the economic condition was not good before the Covid-19 pandemic breakout, “At the weekends, the marketplaces are closed; only supermarkets are open. This situation affects us. Normally, more than half of those who came to the marketplaces were people over 65. The young people work so their parents came to buy their needs.  Now, they buy whatever they need from supermarkets. This situation is about to stop our work. The prices are better than the prices in supermarkets. I don’t know what I should do if I have to leave this job.”

“I struggle to earn a living”

Nergis Nazlı sells flowers in the marketplace. She has to leave one of her children to her mother, another to her neighbor to work in the marketplace. Nergis’s husband also works but she says they struggle to earn a living due to the economic crisis.

“I wake up at 7 o’clock in the morning to come here. I have two children. I have to leave them to my mother or neighbor to work here. Despite the cold weather, we work here to earn a living. The pandemic spreads all around Turkey. Somehow, we keep struggling. I was actually a hairdresser but I have to sell flowers now due to the pandemic.”

“If things continue to happen like this, we'll die in famine”

Hazal Akdağ learns a living by selling chestnuts. She lives in Aydın province but she came to İzmir to sell chestnuts for the first time, “Normally I sell chestnuts in the marketplaces located in Aydın. I came here for the first time. I brought 70 kilos of chestnuts with me. One hour has passed but I just sold 20 kilos. I want to sell more, but I know people have no money in their pockets. I used public transportation to come here. I also paid extra for chestnuts. I earn only 3-5 Turkish liras to buy bread. If things continue to happen like this, we'll die from hunger. It is difficult for young women. One of them is seven months pregnant and tries to sell something.”