The ministry did not approve the price hike for simit in Izmir.

In a written statement, the Ministry of Trade said, "The Ministry of Trade does not have the authority to directly set or approve prices on its own. Requests for a price increase for simit have been evaluated by considering the balance between cost and consumer purchasing power and have not been found appropriate. In the news article titled 'Simit Prices Increased in Izmir' published in the national press on September 1, 2025, it was stated that the price of simit in Izmir has increased from 15 TL to 20 TL and that this increase was made with the approval of our Ministry of Trade."

'THE FINAL DECISION COMES INTO EFFECT WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS'

The statement, which explained how simit price tariffs are determined, stated, "Simit price tariffs are determined within the framework of the Regulation on Price Tariffs for Goods and Services Produced by Tradesmen and Craftsmen, published in the Official Gazette dated February 14, 2008, and numbered 26787. This process is carried out in the following steps. First, the relevant chamber's board of directors prepares the price tariff proposal and submits it to the Union to which it is affiliated. The Union forms a commission at the local level and evaluates the proposal. The commission's decision is forwarded to our Ministry of Trade, after receiving the opinion of the Turkish Bakers' Federation. Our Ministry of Trade evaluates the request within the framework of cost factors and consumer purchasing power criteria. If our Ministry of Trade issues a negative opinion, the new tariff request is re-prepared with its justifications and submitted for review. The final decision enters into force upon the approval of the Union's board of directors."

'IT HAS BEEN REPORTED AS NOT APPROPRIATE'

In the statement, which also explained the events in the process of determining the price of simit in Izmir, it was stated that "Our Ministry of Commerce does not have the authority to directly determine or approve the prices on its own; the process is operated through relevant professional organizations, unions and local commissions. How Did the Current Process Progress in Izmir? In Izmir, both the Izmir Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen and the Izmir Chamber of Commerce submitted simit price tariff requests to our Ministry of Commerce on different dates in 2025. 08.08.2025: The request of the Izmir Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen for '100 gr simit is 20 TL' was submitted to our Ministry of Commerce; it was reported that it was not appropriate with our letter dated 22.08.2025. 27.08.2025: The second application of the same Union with the attached justifications and cost tables was also evaluated; this request was also found inappropriate with our letter dated 28.08.2025. 12.02.2025: The Izmir Chamber of Commerce submitted the request for '90 gr simit is 20 TL' A request for a bagel for 15 TL was submitted; a negative opinion was given in our letter dated 14.02.2025. 03.03.2025: The second application from the same Chamber was also evaluated; the request was not found appropriate in our letter dated 05.03.2025.

'FAIR BALANCE'

The statement, which stated that the statements claiming that the Ministry of Commerce approved the price increase request are not accurate, included the following: "Our Ministry of Commerce has deemed all requests to increase simit prices in Izmir inappropriate to date, on the grounds that a balance has not been established between cost factors and consumer purchasing power, and that price increases would create an additional burden on our citizens. Furthermore, the Izmir Governor's Office has filed a court objection to the tariff implemented by the Izmir Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen. Our Ministry of Commerce will continue to work to protect consumer rights, ensure price stability, and establish a fair balance between producer and consumer interests."

Source: DHA