CHP's Bekir Başevirgen: "Citizens Buy Cheese in 80-Gram Packs, Not by the Kilogram"

Visit to Tradesmen and Producers Republican People's Party (CHP) Manisa MP and Member of the TBMM Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Affairs Commission, Bekir Başevirgen, met with delicatessen owners and cheese producers in Manisa to examine the economic difficulties in the sector firsthand.
Stating that cheese, a staple food item, has become inaccessible due to high prices, Başevirgen evaluated the decline in public purchasing power alongside local tradesmen.
The Era of Kilograms Ends, the Era of Grams Begins During the visit, a business operator shared their observations: "We have started preparing 80-100 gram packages upon demand.
Citizens who cannot approach cheeses priced at 400-500 lira per kilogram can only afford curd and cottage cheese, which cost around 80 lira per kilogram." Tradesmen on the Verge of Closing Shop Expressing that they are going through difficult days due to operating costs and falling sales, tradesmen stated they are struggling to stay afloat.
One shop owner explained that their credit cards were maxed out due to rent payments and other expenses, and they were trying to maintain the business with support from their family.
The shopkeeper emphasized that they would try one last discount during the month of Ramadan, and if the situation does not improve, they are at the point of closing their shutters.
"Even the Employee Cannot Buy the Product They Sell" A delicatessen worker drew attention to the situation of retirees and low-income earners, saying that citizens can only turn to cheap, fat-free products.
The worker expressed the scale of the economic hardship by saying, "I work in this shop, but I cannot take cheese home from here when I go home in the evening." Başevirgen: "This Picture is a Summary of Poverty" Listening to the problems of the tradesmen, Bekir Başevirgen argued that the situation encountered is a summary of deepening poverty.
Başevirgen made the following statement: "The shift from buying cheese by the kilogram to 80-gram packages shows the desperation of workers and retirees in accessing basic food.
The fire on the table continues to grow every day."