Turkish man struggling to make ends meet told 'not to drink water' by onlooker during street interview

During a street interview, a Turkish man who protested against the rising food prices in the country was told by an onlooker "not to drink water." The video showing the dialogue went viral on social media, with several users pointing out that there is such an oppressive environment in the country that does not even let people talk about the economic crisis.

Sunday May 29 2022 10:24 pm

Duvar English

A Turkish man who complained about the soaring prices during a street interview was told by another citizen "not to drink water." The incident occurred in the capital Ankara.

The man told the interviewer that he was receiving a pension of 3,300 liras a month which was not enough even to cover his food expenses. "A bagel now costs 6 liras, a cup of tea costs 7 liras. The price of a bottle of water [half a liter] has risen up to 3 liras," said the man. But he was interrupted by another man standing behind him, who said: "Then do not drink water."

"You are to drink your water at home [before going outside], then you will go outside. Were you drinking water before? We were drinking rainwater whenever we saw it," the man said, continuing with his shocking remarks.

The video showing the dialogue went viral on social media, with several users pointing out that there is such an oppressive environment in the country that does not even let people talk about the economic crisis.

In April, the government-run Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) reported an annual inflation rate of 69.97 percent, the highest in two decades, whereas the independent inflation group ENAG put the figure at 156.86 percent. The majority of Turkish citizens cannot make ends meet in the face of soaring inflation and melting wages.

Topics street interview Inflation price increase