One such question was about the price of bread in Paris that morning. It reflected upon the relevance of understanding the worries of “non-diplomats” as well as learning about the fact that the price of bread is a key economic indicator. Our world has witnessed mass protests -- if not near-revolutions -- about the price of bread alone, Algeria is a case in point.Turkey is no exception to this rule, and the price of bread is of the utmost importance. I came across a fascinating venture in İzmir and wish to share its dimension with our readers. According to Ceyhan Torlak, from the Aegean team of Haber Türk, the municipality has revamped its concept behind selling affordable bread -- welcome to “City Bread.” Twenty-six points of sale all over town are now offering 350-gram loaves of bread for just Kr 40. It is made in one local factory that bakes between 140,000 and 150,000 loaves a day. Customers can buy from the 26 outlets from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Other towns and cities have similar strategies. For example, Halk Ekmek (bread for the public), but the one in İzmir has now received all due publicity, which underlines many important aspects of daily life in this country.
You may wonder whether the price of bread is really that much of an issue, but we have to put it into context with the current level of salaries found in Turkey. Whereas one loaf of bread would not necessarily matter, we must note that Turkey has relatively large families where one loaf of bread per day is far from being sufficient. There are cases where more than five loaves are bought every day by the same family. Now add the other ingredients required for a full meal three times a day, and you get the picture. Add costs for rent and fuel, and we understand that the price of bread is indeed part and parcel of our economic and sociological terminology -- defining the breadline.
Bread is served with almost every meal in this country, whether it is for breakfast or for lunch together with a hot soup or a meat dish. Come dinnertime many families make use of it again. Visitors to Turkey will be offered bread without extra charge -- the system of “cover charge” is still relatively unheard of in local restaurants. Besides, it can be very delicious. Think about oven-fresh bread, still warm and served at home or at a restaurant.
The example from İzmir underlines that while the Turkish economy is perhaps not foolproof, it certainly has mastered most of the economic meltdown that has hampered growth in most Western countries. Reacting to a crisis in the making is far better than waiting for it to show its full impact. Selling a loaf of bread for Kr 40 instead of Kr 60, Kr 65 or even Kr 75 helps families stay afloat and balance their budgets more easily, whether they are fully employed or not.
This concept does not need to look old-fashioned, either. The Ankara version of City Bread, “Public Bread,” recently started to sell ciabata, a bread variety inspired by Italian bakers that fits in very well with every meal but breakfast. Posters in the metro and other prominent places show that modern marketing strategies can go hand-in-hand with efforts by our municipalities to make our daily lives just that little bit easier.
What some municipalities have begun can be used as a starting point for private entrepreneurs, too. It could be used as a base from which to depart for private bakeries that wish to enter the value-added bread market -- selling not only one or two varieties per day, but perhaps 10 or even 20. White, brown, small, large, round, square… the possibilities are endless. Having come to Turkey from a country where 20 years ago a bakery selling various breads, including rolls, was seen as exotic -- central London in the mid-1980s -- I know that changing consumers' taste buds is a lengthy process. By the way, London's first real bakeries in this sense were inspired by Austrians and Germans … and not by the French.
Now that the domestic reform process seems to have gained new momentum with 30 or so new laws on Parliament's agenda before the July summer recess begins, observers outside Turkey have another chance to start learning more about this fascinating country. Repeating comments about the nature of its population like some foreign and Turkish newspapers constantly proclaim -- “Turkey, a poor and mainly Muslim nation” -- is the wrong approach. Understanding why the price of bread here perhaps matters more due to an economy that in the new millennium became a very serious player and competitor for many European states is much better. And we shall not forget that discounted or “budget bread” is a permanent fixture on many European families' tables, too. Over time incomes will rise, living standards will improve further and our economies will be more alike. Until then, we shall all carefully watch the price of bread and put it in into context.
