۴ý

Skip to main content

Inflation in Turkey rises to nearly 80 per cent, hitting consumers

Share
ISTANBUL -

Annual inflation in Turkey soared to nearly 80% in July, official data showed Wednesday, with skyrocketing food, housing and energy prices hitting consumers hard.

The Turkish Statistical Institute said consumer prices rose by 79.6% from a year earlier, up about 1 percentage point from June data.

Independent experts say inflation is much higher than official statistics. Economists also say the huge rise in inflation is caused by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's unorthodox belief that high borrowing costs lead to inflation despite established economic theory.

Turkey's central bank slashed interest rates by 5 percentage points since September to 14%, sinking the national currency. While the bank has not made further cuts this year, central banks across the world are moving the opposite way, raising interest rates to combat global inflation.

In comparison, annual inflation hit a record 8.9% in the 19 countries that use the euro in July and a four-decade-high of 9.1% in the United States in June.

The Turkish lira lost 44% of its value against the U.S. dollar last year, eroding people's ability to buy even basic items. The dollar was trading at 17.95 against the lira Wednesday, with the lira's value some 25% lower than at the beginning of the year.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

Stay Connected