The chairman of Turkey’s main opposition force, the Republican People’s Party, Özgür Özel, publicly highlighted the stronger economic position of Bulgaria and Greece, using the comparison to criticize the state of Turkey’s economy.

Speaking at a party rally in the border city of Edirne, Özel contrasted prices, purchasing power and exchange rates in Turkey with those in neighboring Bulgaria and Greece. He argued that the sharp depreciation of the Turkish lira amid the ongoing economic crisis has significantly reduced domestic purchasing power, while consumers in Bulgaria and Greece benefit from more stable conditions. According to him, this imbalance explains cross-border shopping trends in the region.

Özel noted that Turkish citizens increasingly travel to Greece and Bulgaria to buy basic food products, including meat, which he described as prohibitively expensive in Turkey. At the same time, he said Bulgarians are drawn to Edirne to shop because of Turkey’s weakened currency, which makes goods cheaper for foreign buyers. He stressed that food inflation in Turkey is currently the highest in Europe and ranks third globally.

Some participants at the rally reacted critically to Özel’s remarks, accusing him of presenting Turkey in a negative light before an international audience.