We know prices increase but 30% increase since 7 months ago is high considering it would mean a annual inflation of 51%l. Couple these increase with increases in previous years the place start to become expensive and more expensive than the traditional med resorts.

The restaurant, shop and bar owners will come unstuck if the don't stop increasing and cut the prices to a reasonable level. The turkish lira is strong since it was made a hard lira. The reason why the turkish lira is strong is because inflation is low. Injuly the turkish inflation rate was 6.2% the lowest for 30 years. In the past when there was rampant inflation the lira would devalue overnight making everything cheap to europeans against their currency.

6.2% is miles away from the 51% annual increase in the resorts, can you see how greedy they have become.

I believe the restuarant, shop and bar owners got away with big increases when there was high inflation and think they can continue. The increases are OK if the currency is devalued with high inflation, but the increases are not ok if the currency is strong with low inflation.

Its pure greed and nothing else. When they drive everybody away they will be wondering why don't the people want to come here and holiday anymore and at sometime it will click its cheaper to go else where. Bit late then the damage would of been done. The people who go will be hardened turkey fans and families going A/I. The large amount of floating holiday makers who go where it is cheapest will be look else where.

I never thought spain would be cheaper than turkey.

look at you cant think of a username with all the % lol but you right good point

i agree a lot of it is greed, my mother lives there and quite often sees prices 1 for the tourist and 1 for the turks, especially in markets when she can understand the prices given to turks, ie she heard a market staller saying 10 lira for a baby dress to a turk and the same time her friend asked the price and it was 20 lira, luckily for them but unluckily for the stall holder they understood and told him what he had done, his reply was the quality was different lol, usual excuse ,they said rubbish its the same dress,he then said they could have it for 10 lira but by this time he had lost a sale her friend refused to pay even 10 lira,so this is the sort of thing that is happening, you need to be careful, also she said the prices in restaurants, shops etc are lots different in the winter to the summer prices and she watches them increase when the season starts to around double

this is so true but greed hapens hand in hand with tourism, not just in turkey but other countries have the same problems but its not till its too late that anybody relises
if everybody feels the same way you should all email the turkish tourist board
tourismturkey.mediauk@fd.com

director@gototurkey.co.uk

comments@gototurkey.co.uk

I have been going to Turkey for the last 5 years,and personally havnt seen big price rises,not in Marmaris,5 years ago we paid 13 lira for a steak,at the same restaurant now it was 19 lira,so its gone up £2.50 and they still give us a complimentary drink,beach towels are still 2 for £10 and you can still get 6 tops for £10,boat trips were £8 then now its £10 for all inc,and dolmus 40p,Im not complaining,always check my bill,and never been overcharged,sometimes I feel I have robbed them!!,considering the quality of the food and the excellent they give,no moans from me.

Last August 06 you could get a steak meal for 16 YTL the rate was 2.9YTL to the £ making the meal £5.51.

This September 07 a steak meal was 20YTL the rate was 2.4 YTL to the £
making the meal £8.30

That equates to over a 50% rise on last season and you can do these same figures for quite a range of food and drink for the simple reason is that the Lira is strong at the side of the £.

Gene

These prices are in Icmeler

We have never been to Turkey & were thinking of going to Olu Deniz next year, however after reading some of the reports about how pricey it's getting i am having second thoughts.
Having just come back from Kefalonia i can give an example of prices there. Bill for following :- 2 cover (Bread), 1 Coke, 1 Large Beer, 1 Avocado starter, 1 Grilled Mushrooms starter, 1 Cod fish with Garlic Mash, 1 Sea Bass, 2 Liquor Coffees. = 43 Euros ( £30 ).
Can anyone tell me how this compares please !!

i think you will find turkey will be cheaper than greece or most places in the euro olu is not that expensive and there is a very wide choice

hi david h
you would probly get twice as much as that in turkey for £30 so i dont think you should worry people are on about turkey getting pricey its not its just a bit more expensive than it used to be it all depends where you go if its in the centre then it always costs more wherever you go but you wont find turkey expensive

I don't know the price of food is but some here posted menu's and on my caculations the drinks are more expensive than majorca. It cost me 2.85 for a G&T in majorca and on the prices I saw it works out as £5.20 in turkey. 13 lira devide by 2.50=£5.20. In marjorca this year it cost us 11 euro's for a barcadi and coke, martini and lemenade and a coke. These are branded spirits bought in our 4* hotel so not cheap bar outside. 11 devide by 1.40 = £7.85

Calculated on 2.5 lira to the £ and 1.40 euro to the £

Now you can work out for yourself if are cheaper in greece. My mate went to turkey this and tenerife the year before and he said tenerife was cheaper than turkey, well quite a lot cheaper.

I think the reason Turkey, Icmeler in particular, has changed has a lot to do with the clamp down on hassle.
I found that a lot of the Turks were subdued, they are watching for the police as soon as it gets to 11.50pm if a police car goes past the music goes down and its not even 12.
They cannot step out of the restaurants and speak to you or they can be closed down for days, they must feel like they're walking on eggshells.

Despite all this the majority of people remain warm & welcoming. I was not very well the last week of my holiday in Sept and the manager of a restaurant who we used to speak to offered to take me to hospital. We had only had a couple of drinks in his place and a breakfast once so it wasn't because we had spent a lot of money there he was just being kind. That is the nature of the geniune Turkish culture.. hospitable and I don't think you will find that anywhere else in the world.

Things have gone up but they have everywhere and in my opinion it is still very good value for money.
One small improvement is that most of the toilets seem to have been very much upgraded from when I first visited Turkey 10years ago and all these improvements must be paid for

The reason alcohol is dear in Turkey is because the government increased the tax on it a couple of years ago.We still found Efes at 60p a bottle in Icmeler last October.(Champions bar).

jay i did read in the turkish daily news some time ago that the tax was being reduced to help incress tourism

the only drink thats expensive are the same ones that were expensive 10 years ago like bacardi, gin, smurnof vodka, whiskey jack daniels, baileys, ect ect , thats because they are imported drinks thats why you pay a lot of money for them but thats never changed and if you ask the waiters for a turkish equivalant of the drink you like then they will try there best to find it for you and if they havent got it they will most likley spend most of the next day trying to look for it incase you go back to there bar thats how nice the turks are!!!

wrong thread sorry guys

We've been going to Turkey for 20 years now, and have seen lots of changes over the years. For instance when we first went, they wondered why we left a tip and came running after us to give us the money back! After a meal you used to get a small liqueur with the bill and a splash of lemon cologne. I haven't had that for a few years now. Yes the prices have gone up, but that happens everywhere. On the whole though the people are just as friendly and welcoming, and Turkey is still a great place to go for a holiday.

Well said Tıshtosh (great name by the way ..) In Marmaris at the moment and I have no complaints whatsoever about prices.

Wilson

Spot on Tishtosh. I've been going to Turkey for the last 18 years and can echo everything you've said - although there are still one or two places where I can get my after dinner liqueur

I went to Majorca for a week in May "for a change" and although it was a very picturesque island I spent the week comparing it to Turkey and it didn't come close - so I had a week in Marmaris at the end of September to compensate!

I've recommended Turkey to friends in the past and just told them to go with an open mind - those friends fell in love with the country, the people, the scenery, the food and the vibe (even people that wrote off the idea of going there at first) just like I did and have also returned many times. There are still a few people I know who won't consider Turkey for a holiday for their own blinkered reasons - their loss, they don't know what they are missing.

Booked for June next year - it is going to be a long winter.

Cologne..... that takes me back!

I remember a small turkish pancake house next to the square in Dalyan that never sold alcohol, right next to the square.... family cooking gorgeous...also the traditional old turkish house there
I also remember fields of flowers on the Dalyan riverside.... the novelty of having a purse full of millions.....
Chemists that only had 2 brands of shampoo.....
Goats being taken down early morning on to the beach...... memories