Bulgarian shoppers find bargains in Turkey as lira struggles

By MEHMET GUZEL
Associated Press

EDIRNE, Turkey (AP) — Bulgarian shoppers are crossing Turkey’s western border in packed cars and buses, taking advantage of a declining Turkish lira to fuel their own shopping sprees. Their first stop is the currency exchange and then it’s off to the markets and grocery stores in the northwestern city of Edirne. Turkey is in the throes of an economic crisis with official inflation figures above 21%, affecting the prices of food, fuel and household items. The lira saw its most volatile month in December, declining almost every day and finally hitting an all-time low of 18.36 against the U.S. dollar on Dec. 20. The lira has since rebounded but while it’s still cheap for Bulgarians, Turkish shoppers have been waiting in long lines in the cold to buy bread.