President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a statement at the 2021 UNESCO Ahi Evran Commemorative Year Craftsmen Meeting in Kırşehir.
"The pandemic, which has hit the world hard for 2 years, has also affected us. Our tradesmen and traders are among those affected by this process. Our 760,000 tradesmen used approximately 19 billion TL of interest reduction loans. The total loan amount used in 2020 reached 43 billion TL. As of the end of August, we provided 17 billion TL loans to 140,000 tradesmen and craftsmen in 2021. Loan payments are delayed. We are well aware of the problems caused by the high cost of living due to inflation. By fighting against opportunists, we will prevent exorbitant price increases on the shelves by controlling inflation as soon as possible. Every problem will be solved by itself," Erdogan said.
In the food sector, where hundreds of products, from oil to sugar, from pulses to dairy products, were almost priced, salt was the only product whose price did not increase. The price of salt, which is indispensable for the citizens' kitchen, has remained the same for 2 years despite the difficult conditions of the pandemic.
The only product that was not affected by the price hikes was salt in the food sector, where the price hikes resulting from high inflation, waste and poor economic management were most intense. A producer in Sivas said that despite the pandemic opportunists, the price of salt, known as white gold, has not increased for 2 years. Spring salt produced in the saltworks located near the village of Bingöl, 10 kilometers from Sivas city center, makes a name for itself with its characteristics. The salt produced with a thousand and one labor is cleaned and packaged after being harvested. Later, the salt, which is sent to many countries in the country, finds buyers abroad from Spain. Salt producer Fikri Çiçek said that they did not increase the price of salt this year due to the pandemic.