Answer from Minister of Commerce Bolat to the question of market cashiers being kept standing

The 104 billion 287 million lira budget of the Ministry of Commerce was accepted at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Planning and Budget Commission the previous evening.

'MARKETS ARE NOT ADDICTED'

Minister of Commerce Ömer Bolat answered the questions of the MPs as the talks ended. "The regulations we have introduced in domestic trade, consumer protection, product safety and market surveillance in order to ensure stability in the markets have brought serious stability to the markets in general. Our consumers are convinced that the markets are not uncontrolled and express their satisfaction to us. However, at the point of price increases in an inflationary environment, our routine, continuous inspections regarding exorbitant prices are never interrupted. We are trying to increase the number of our staff in this regard with the staff we have received from our Ministry of Finance." While emphasizing that the period for restructuring tradesmen's and farmers' debts has been extended, he said, "We will continue to make the necessary calls and pressures on the Economy Coordination Board to reduce interest rates."

'TIR CROSSINGS WERE STOPPED AT IRAN'S REQUEST'

CHP Edirne Deputy Ahmet Baran Yazgan asked, "Approximately 600 tow trucks - truck tractors - are waiting in front of the customs gate in Bulgaria. Each of them has a driver and they have been in misery for 18 days. Do you have information about this, if so, what do you plan to do?" Bolat responded, "The place where these trucks go is Iran, normally. Something happened before, the Iranian state did not take these trucks, hundreds of trucks remaining in Turkish territory have to be liquidated because they become abandoned. The drivers also leave them. At this point, we stopped their passage from Bulgaria - Iran also requested this from us - in order to avoid any abandoned trucks in our country."

'IT'S THE FIRST TIME I HEARD IT' RESPONSE FOR CASHIERS

DEVA Party Deputy Chairman Elif Esen asked Minister Bolat about the situation of cashiers who are kept waiting in chain markets. Esen said, "In December 2025, I submitted a parliamentary question to the Ministry of Labor regarding cashiers working in chain markets being forced to work standing for hours. The response came, but the number of inspections and the sanctions imposed were not disclosed. Do you have such information? I want to ask you this. According to our observations in the field, cashiers are still kept standing. If the inspections are continuing, why are there no results? We are curious about this, and in the light of similar bans and regulations in the world, the ban on sitting in Türkiye has been lifted and the sitting ban for cashiers has also been stopped." "Is it planned to make a legal regulation to provide this opportunity?" he asked the questions.

Bolat replied, "I will talk to our Minister of Labor about Elif Hanım's issue regarding the cashiers in the markets. This is the first time I have heard this from you, let me tell you that."