The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) revealed an increase of 1.72 percent in general index in the consumer price index (CPI) in January from the previous month.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages were on the top of the list by an increase of 5.16 percent, while the highest decrease was in clothing and footwear, by 7.59 percent. The indices rose for alcoholic beverages and tobacco by 2.72 percent, for transportation by 2.50 percent, for miscellaneous goods and services by 2.43 percent, and for health by 1.86 percent. Communications saw a decrease of 0.60 percent. The highest increases in January were in Gaziantep, Adıyaman, and Kilis, where prices rose by 8.98 percent compared with January 2013.

The main groups where high annual increases were observed were transportation (11.95 percent), food and non-alcoholic beverages (10.89 percent), hotels, cafes and restaurants (10.70 percent), education (10 percent), and furnishings and household equipment (6.44 percent)

Within average prices of 432 items in the index, average prices of 40 items remained unchanged while average prices of 295 items increased and average prices of 97 items decreased in January 2014. Separately, annual inflation rose only marginally to 7.48 percent in January from 7.40 percent in December.

Ankara / Sabah English