Turks' demand for used phones grows as prices of new ones soar

STORY: Turks' demand for used phones grows as prices of new ones soar DATELINE: Oct. 6, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:54 LOCATION: Ankara CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of people on the streets with cell phones 2. various of phone shops 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): GUVEN ISIK, Smartphone shop owner 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): OZAN SENOL, University student STORYLINE: With new smartphone prices skyrocketing due to a declining national currency, Turkish consumers, especially young people, are increasingly turning towards purchasing more affordable secondhand ones. "The secondhand smartphone market is very vibrant these days," said Faruk Kocabas, Türkiye CEO of MediaMarkt, a German consumer electronics retailer. "Consumers are looking for cheaper alternatives in the face of high prices. They are turning to secondhand or refurbished smartphones," he told Milliyet Daily, predicting that 300,000 to 500,000 refurbished phones would be sold in the country this year. The main reason for the price hike of smartp