Mango for 500 lira and parsley for 50: outrage over prices grows at the Kyrenia bazaar

In Kyrenia, at the traditional open-air bazaar held every Wednesday, residents’ discontent is increasing due to the rapid rise in fruit and vegetable prices. Many visitors complain that familiar products are becoming practically unaffordable.

According to buyers, “sultani” grapes are sold at 180 Turkish lira per kilogram, peaches and nectarines — 170, figs — 250, while mango reaches 500 lira. Even apples have never dropped below 100 lira. People note that they can no longer afford to buy fruit in the same quantities as before, and some vegetables appear on the table only occasionally.

Local residents point to the lack of price regulation. One seller admitted that in the past buyers from the Greek part of the island used to come here for products, whereas now even residents of Northern Cyprus prefer to shop there. Another consumer, a native of Turkey, noted that back home he used to sell tomatoes wholesale for 5–10 lira per kilogram, while at the Kyrenia market they cost 130–140 lira.

There are also frequent cases of clearly inflated prices for greens. For example, one bunch of parsley was offered at 50 lira, while on the other side of the island it costs about 50 cents. Residents note that price tags change almost daily, and the cost of many products appears “bloated.”

According to observations, yesterday at the bazaar prices were: mango — 500 lira, figs — 250, grapes — 180–200, peaches and nectarines — 170, pomegranates — 150, apples — 100, kapia peppers — 90, lemons — 80, bananas — 70. Among vegetables: tomatoes — 140, beans — 150, eggplants — 120, cauliflower — 100, cucumbers — 40, potatoes — 40, onions — 35, melons — 30 lira.

Residents emphasize that the situation requires government intervention and the introduction of stricter market controls, otherwise many families may be left without access to fresh fruits and vegetables.