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Turks set fire to utility bills amid soaring prices
Protest in Turkey: Shopkeepers and members of Turkey’s largest opposition party set fire to their electricity bills on Wednesday in displeasure at rising prices. Inflation skyrocketed to almost 50 percent in January, raising the cost of living for many Turks who are already struggling to survive financially after a currency crash in December. “These price increases have to be reversed. The damn electricity company. But they didn’t just raise the prices like that. Someone from the presidential palace has to order that it be reversed.” In response to the currency turmoil, the government has raised the minimum wage by 50 percent this year. But it has also increased the prices of gas, electricity, petrol and road tolls to reflect the rise in import prices. This has strained many household budgets and exacerbated poverty.
More and more people are suffering from high inflation and the associated price increases.