Türkiye steps up price, food safety inspections ahead of Eid al-Adha

ISTANBUL

Turkish authorities have intensified nationwide inspections ahead of Eid al-Adha, one of the country’s busiest holiday periods, targeting price gouging, food safety violations and irregular business practices as millions prepare for holiday shopping and travel.

Eid al-Adha is a major Islamic holiday during which families traditionally purchase meat, sweets and other food products, while many travel across the country to visit relatives. The increased consumer activity typically leads to a surge in retail demand and transportation traffic.

In Istanbul, inspection teams carried out checks at the historic Spice Bazaar, focusing on product labels, pricing and alleged excessive price increases.

Officials said inspectors compare current prices with previous records to determine whether increases are reasonable.

According to data shared by the Istanbul Trade Directorate, inspection teams checked 311 businesses and nearly 50,000 products in the last three days alone.

Across Türkiye, inspections have also focused on highway rest stops, restaurants, bakeries, confectionery producers and supermarkets, particularly in areas expected to see heavy holiday traffic.

In Ankara, teams inspected interstate roadside facilities, examining shelf and checkout prices, stock levels, labeling practices and product weights.

Municipal inspection teams in provinces including Şırnak, Antalya, Düzce and Bolu also increased controls on bakeries, pastry shops, butchers and food manufacturers.

Authorities said the inspections would continue throughout the holiday period.

The government has also expanded animal health controls ahead of the holiday, when millions of livestock are transported across the country for ritual sacrifice.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said veterinary inspection teams had examined more than 36,000 transport vehicles and conducted health and shipment checks on over four million animals since April.