People are seen withdrawing money from ATM machines in Ankara, Türkiye, on Aug. 4, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)
ANKARA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Financial troubles caused by Türkiye's persistent inflation have impacted the cultural life for its citizens, who have to cut back on the spending of social and cultural activities, a recent survey showed.
More than 90 percent of Turks have not participated in any cultural activity in the past 12 months, and the lack of financial resources and interest are the main reasons for the situation, according to the results of a survey that were published by the Turkish Statistical Institute on July 24.
In the past year, 85.3 percent of Turks aged 15 and above have not gone to the cinema, 93.7 percent have not attended live performances, 92 percent have not visited cultural sites and 94.9 percent have not participated in live sports events, according to the survey, which did not reveal the number of people it polled.
People walk on a street in Ankara, Türkiye, on Aug. 4, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)
"I used to go twice a month or at least once a month to social and cultural events, but in the past 12 months, I only went to the opera once with my wife," said Ankara-based lawyer Mert Eker.
His family of three had to reduce the spending on non-essential things and enter a "protective mode" as a result of the inflation-induced spike in living costs, he said.
"Everything has become expensive in this inflationary economy, and we have lost the sense of prices as they are going up constantly, therefore our priority is for primary needs," Eker added.
Years of high inflation and the depreciation of Türkiye's currency have led to a decline of living standards for the Turks, some of whom live on the official minimum monthly wage of about 11,400 liras (422 U.S. dollars).
After his re-election in May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to tackle inflation and increased the minimum wage to help improve the living standards of workers.
The country's annual inflation rate dipped to 38.2 percent in June after reaching a 24-year high of 85.51 percent in October 2022. However, it recorded a significant uptick in July to 47.83 percent, according to official data released on Thursday.
In late July, the Turkish central bank predicted that the annual inflation rate would reach 58 percent by the end of the year.
People shop at a local market in Ankara, Türkiye, on Aug. 3, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)
Some cash-strapped Turks complain that they no longer go to the movies or other cultural events as frequently as before.
"I have not been able to go to a cultural event, not only in the previous 12 months, but it has been quite a long time, a couple of years at least," said Ahmet Ates, a cleaning company employee in Ankara. He added that he had to forgo social activities for more pressing needs.
Elif Ergen, an Ankara-based legal office clerk, said she and her friends had to cut back on the costs of their get-togethers since the prices of food and wine had increased significantly, and even those with a stable job like her found it difficult to keep up with inflation.
People shop at a local market in Ankara, Türkiye, on Aug. 3, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)
"In the past, my friends and I went out for drinks and a meal once a week. Nowadays, we go out perhaps once every two months and we go to the cheapest places," she said.
"Inflation has taken away the smile from our faces," she added. ■
