Istanbul Chamber of Commerce reports sharp July price surge in hot peppers and drop in cherries

The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) released its July retail price index covering 336 products. Prices rose for 199 items and fell for 68. The biggest increase was in hot (sivri) pepper, which rose 103.57 % compared with the previous month, followed by other pepper varieties, daily vehicle‑rental fees (up 37.44 %), onions (up 29.25 %) and diesel fuel (up 25.43 %). Medical service fees, surgery costs and other services also saw double‑digit gains.

The steepest decline was recorded for cherries, which fell 39.57 %, with cucumber (‑23.79 %), green beans (‑22.38 %), watermelon (‑17.50 %) and lemon (‑17.20 %) also dropping sharply. Smaller price reductions were noted for eggs, green onions, parsley, children’s shoes and women’s clothing.