Turkey’s Trade Ministry will take administrative and legal action against businesses that use the 2026 minimum wage increase as a pretext for excessive price hikes.
The ministry issued the warning after the net monthly minimum wage was raised 27% to 28,075 lira. It said the wage adjustment represents only one component of overall costs and “cannot justify across‑the‑board increases in goods and services prices.”
Iinspection teams from the Trade Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and provincial directorates are carrying out nationwide checks.
The ministry said its internal units — the Directorate General of Domestic Trade and the Directorate General for Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance — are also conducting continuous inspections.
Consumers were urged to report suspected price gouging through official channels. The ministry said all complaints are reviewed immediately and that administrative fines will be imposed without exception when violations are confirmed.
