Turkish Cypriot bread crisis averted

Turkish Cypriot bakers and the north’s ‘economy ministry’ reached an agreement on Monday after finding themselves at odds surrounding the price of a loaf of bread.

The rift had opened on Sunday after the ‘government’ decreed that a loaf of bread be sold for no more than 12TL (€0.37), effectively knocking 20 per cent off its retail price, which since the start of the month had typically been 15TL (€0.46).

Bakers had refused to comply with the decree throughout Sunday, continuing across the north to sell loaves for 15TL.

Opposition party CTP ‘MP’ Devrim Barcin said at the time that it was “utterly delusional to expect compliance.”

However, ‘economy minister’ Olgun Amcaoglu announced following a meeting with the north’s Bakers’ association on Monday that an agreement had been reached, and that a loaf of bread would henceforth be sold for 13.50TL (€0.41).

Additionally, he said other matters were discussed, with the aim of “reversing the baking sector’s declining market share and ensuring the sector operates more efficiently, thus ensuring bread remains on sale at a more reasonable price.”

He also said that the bakers’ association would hold new technical meetings and submit a report to ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel’s office “to move the sector to a healthier point.”