In November alone, 8,951 businesses were closed, the figures showed. In the last year, 81,159 businesses were closed.
Commenting on the issue at a press conference at the parliament, MP Bekir Başevirgen of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said, ''The number of people who locked their shops in a year increased by 20 percent. The destruction that the tradespeople started to experience during the pandemic continues. "
Başevirgen furthermore drew attention to the difficulties faced by small businesses due to high inflation.
"Since December, the shopkeepers have been exposed to a rent increase of 70 percent, as a rent increase limit has not been imposed on workplaces like in residential housing.
"In other words, the tradespeople, whose current rental price is 5 thousand liras, will pay 8 thousand 518 liras, an 70.36 percent increase. The annual rent paid will exceed 100 thousand liras.
"Craftspeople are not able to able earn such amounts in a year, they can only give this to their rents."
The high bankruptcy among craftspeople comes amidst a 54 percent minimum wage hike announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A higher minimum might put small businesses under increasing pressure, as TESK Chair Bendevi Palandöken told the daily Sözcü on December 4. (WM/VK)
