The continued devaluation of the Turkish lira has exacerbated the living conditions of thousands of Syrians in the opposition-controlled areas in northwestern Syria, after the Turkish lira became the main currency traded among the population in commercial transactions, along with the US dollar, with a very limited use of the Syrian pound.

About a year and a half ago, the people began trading the Turkish lira, after the Syrian opposition officially announced the replacement of the Syrian lira with the Turkish one, due to the Syrian currency losing its value against the US dollar and the successive losses it sustained.

With the recent acceleration of the decline in the value of the Turkish lira, the matter was reflected in the prices of goods in the markets, while the fuel companies raised the prices of gasoline, diesel and household gas, which deepened the suffering of civilians and increased burdens and problems, especially among daily wage workers and people with limited income.

The "Watad" company is responsible for providing fuel and gas to civilians in Idlib and the countryside of Aleppo, and last month it raised prices several times. Residents criticize the company's way of working, accusing it of dominating the market and monopolizing the sales process.

The Syrian opposition adopts the Turkish lira in cash to deal in markets and commercial transactions (Al-Jazeera)

popular anger

In recent days, the city of Idlib - the largest city in the Syrian opposition areas and the most densely populated - witnessed protests, in response to the high prices and the increase in the value of bread and fuel by the Salvation Government.

The people’s frustration and anger increased after prices rose to unprecedented levels, as the price of a domestic gas cylinder reached 109 Turkish liras and the price of a bundle of bread 2.5 liras, while the worker in Idlib and its countryside receives a daily wage that does not exceed 20 Turkish liras.

Abdul Karim al-Omar, a resident of Idlib, said that prices are no longer commensurate with the income that most residents receive, calling on the opposition government to intervene quickly and control and reduce prices before it is too late in the region.

Al-Omar added in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net that his daily wage of 25 Turkish liras is barely enough for him to secure his and his family's daily food and drink, and it has become almost impossible to cover any other expenses from buying clothes or medicine.

According to Al-Omar, civilians in Idlib have become extremely poor and unable to increase their income, as the region suffers mainly from unemployment, lack of job opportunities and low wages.

successive losses

The Minister of Economy and Resources of the Salvation Government in Idlib, Basil Abdel Aziz, attributes the significant rise in prices of goods and fuel to the depreciation of the Turkish lira, “as it has lost more than 22% of its value since the beginning of this year, and the dollar was worth about 7.5 Turkish liras, but today its value has reached the limits.” 9.20 liras".

Abdel Aziz told Al Jazeera Net that the rise in prices in northern Syria is the result of the global rise in energy and basic commodity prices, which have reached levels they have not reached for years, and are higher than they were before the Corona pandemic.

According to the minister, the decline in the value of the Turkish lira against the dollar in recent months has increased the rate of price hikes for most commodities, especially after it was adopted in northern Syria as an alternative currency to the Syrian lira, which has lost its purchasing value and is witnessing successive losses.

Residents of northern Syria suffer from widespread unemployment and loss of job opportunities (Al-Jazeera)

a mess

The most prominent thing that causes the problem of high prices in Idlib markets is the absence of real oversight, and the traders controlling prices without accountability, and this allows them to raise the price without thinking about the consequences of these measures.

And if the Turkish currency did not drop by more than 10% to 20%, prices in northern Syria could not rise by this huge percentage, according to the Syrian economist Osama Al-Qadi, stressing that agricultural products have nothing to do with trade with Turkey.

The judge describes the state of prices as a natural reflection of the state of chaos and the lack of sovereignty and a real government budget that can monitor prices, control the mechanism of supply and demand and prevent price fluctuations.

The judge tells Al Jazeera Net that in the absence of a final political solution in Syria, the Syrian people will continue to suffer in all areas of influence and pay the price for postponing this solution and the continuation of the crisis.