Turkey presses strained retailers for price freezes ahead of elections

Turkey's unusual request that its retailers partially freeze prices ahead of elections has prompted some supermarkets and industry groups to warn they could only do so for a short period.

Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati asked clothing and shoe stores to launch their discount season well ahead of usual March after grocers had done the same.

After almost six months of public calls from President Tayyip Erdogan's government, the country's largest market chains began a month-long price freeze and some cut prices this month.

Yavuz Altun, chief executive of 200-store chain Happy Center, said discounts for shoppers will depend on how much more the chain had to pay its suppliers. "We could accommodate hikes up to a certain point, however there is a limit" he said.

Annual inflation hit a 24-year high of 85% last year and prices were up 64% year-on-year in...