Convenient to have exchanged Canadian currency for Turkish lira. We only lose once on the exchange fee - currency exchanges, whether at banks or on the high street are, after all, in business to make a profit. And any pounds sterling or euros in our possession have already been exchanged. On the other hand Overinflated Turkish currency takes up a lot of wallet space for its actual purchasing value. The photo is of a thousand fifteen Turkish lira. Equivalent to $33.63 CAD or £18.22. Not a huge sum to take to the supermarket.
Could have been worse, and once was. The “new” Turkish lira was created in 2005, dropping six zeros from the old Turkish lira to create the new Turkish lira. Faint memories of the old days when it was easy to feel like a millionaire. And not only in Türkiye, of course. Those with long memories recall 1993 when Mexico created the new peso, worth a thousand old Mexican pesos. And then there was Poland in 1995 when ten thousand old Polish złoty were replaced by one new złoty.
So not expecting a second change any time soon. Though we still get coins in change, worth less than a penny for a 25 lira coin.
Today should be - in fact is - a public holiday. Republic Day, celebrating the birth of the country. And if we lived in Nicosia it might be a little higher in our consciousness. There is an official parade there. But mostly it’s sliding by unnoticed because it falls on a Saturday this year when banks and government offices are closed anyway. Don’t think there’s a holiday on Monday to make up.
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