Kurban Bayram has been a muted affair this year because of the dire situation of the economy, press reports say.
Newspapers show images of empty streets. The lack of tourists,for the first time, hotels are at 23% occupancy and the weak lira, threaten business closures.
Many workers have either been laid-off or have been on low-paid furlough, so there is little money to spend on feasting.
The president of the Chamber of Tradesmen and Craftsmen, Mahmut Kanber, said that due to the fall in purchasing power in the north, the closing of the pedestrian border crossing on Ledra Street, the situation in the market had become unbearable.
Yesterday, the Turkish lira fell 9.120 to the pound sterling, 8.250 to the euro and 7.030 to the US$. THis means that businesses can no longer afford to pay the rents on their business premises.
Yeni Bakis, Diyalog, Avrupa