Simit sellers removed from central Istanbul

Can Mumay ISTANBUL

The temperature is rising on the streets, after many simit sellers were removed from their regular spots by the authorities.

Street vendors selling simits, a local savoury pastry enjoyed by all walks of life, have been removed from central spots across Istanbul, with police citing widespread malpractice among unregistered simit sellers.

It is a tradition for many Turks to have simit for breakfast, and street vendors can generally be found at every main street, subway station or any other central point.

However, Tayfun Karaali, the head of the municipal police, said in a statement that the municipality had made such a decision to combat pirate simit sellers.

'Some already had big profits from simit'

“Soon, those simit sellers who are really in need of the job will return,” Karali said, adding that the municipality would help those who need to sell simit to live on for some time.

Ali Yücel, the head of the simit vendors’ chamber, told Hürriyet that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality had not dealt with the issue for the last four or five years, adding that decisions about who is permitted to sell simit are made by district mayors.

According to Yücel, there are about 8,000 simit vendors across Istanbul, with 250 vendors removed from central spots.