Masks Will Be Sold in Markets for 1 TL Each! The coronavirus pandemic caused significant shortages and difficulties in both the use and supply of masks. Following a cabinet meeting, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced decisions that have opened the way for mask sales. A directive outlining the details of mask sales is being prepared.
Details about mask sales are beginning to emerge. According to the plans, the maximum price for masks will be 1 TL. After shortages in access to masks, the decision was made to resume sales with a price attached. The prepared directive sets the upper price limit for masks at 1 TL and states that sales will even be allowed in supermarkets.
How Much Will Masks Cost?
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Trade and with representatives from the medical sector, regulators have met to prepare the directive that would allow masks to be sold in pharmacies, markets and wholesale stores. Once the directive is submitted for approval to President Erdoğan and receives his consent, pharmacies, markets and wholesale markets will begin selling masks. The upper limit for surgical masks is set at 1 TL, while different types of masks are expected to have separate ceilings.
Pharmacies and markets will be free to sell masks at prices below the established cap, but they will not be permitted to charge above it. Strict inspections will follow the start of mask sales. The inspections will be conducted by the Ministry of Trade together with the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency.
The new regulation aims for mask sales to begin as of today. The Deputy Chairman of the TOBB Medical Assembly commented on the situation, saying they had consistently maintained that, with proper organization, there would be no supply problems and that production of masks had never been an issue. He added that they had communicated this to authorities and that distribution had reached an appropriate level. With the commencement of mask sales, citizens will have easier access to masks — and shelves will even have stock available, he said.