Georgians come to Turkey for school shopping because it is “cheaper”

The depreciation of the Turkish lira makes Georgian citizens choose Turkey for their school purchases.

Georgians arrive in Kemalpaşa from the Sarp border gate to do their children’s school shopping for the academic year that will begin on September 15. There is also congestion at the border gate due to the arrival of Georgian citizens.

EXPENSIVE FOR US, CHEAP FOR GEORGIANS

Murat Karahan, a trader from Kemalpaşa, stated that he currently sells mainly to Georgians and that the local population cannot buy: “We cannot sell to our own people because it is expensive for us.” Karahan stated that Georgians’ money is more valuable than TL and that 100 lira becomes 10 lari and said: “When they exchange 100 lari, they can buy all the needs of a child for school.”

Karahan said: “But if we ask the local population, they can’t buy them, so look, a pair of slippers costs 350 to 400 lira for a child and 30 lari for Georgians. “Georgians can come here and buy a pair of shoes for the price of a soup in Georgia,” he said.

‘VERY CHEAP FOR THE MONEY’

A Georgian citizen who came from Georgia to shop in Kemalpaşa said: “I come from Batumi, Kemalpaşa is very cheap and we buy children’s school needs from here. Look, this shirt and here is worth 100 liras and the other one is worth 30 liras. “It’s very cheap in Lari, but it costs 100 Turkish liras and I have everything in my bag and this place is very cheap,” he said.

Erdinç Yılmaz from Kemalpaşa said: “I have 3 students, we will buy a notebook because of the cost and divide it between three children, which is quite expensive. I’m a minimum wage worker, but I can only do this. “Georgians find this place cheap, since our currency has lost value, so they come to shop here,” he said.