Currency in Turkey

[alan30]

Just returned from a holiday in Turkey. One thing I didn't understand was the reluctance of shopkeepers to want to give change. They would sooner accept less money than give change. For example items costing 6 lira they would sooner take a 5 lira note rather than give change for a 10 lira note. At the airport rather than give a 1 lira coin as change they wanted to give me a pack of sweets in lieu of change. Is there a reason for this?

[dzug]

Yes - there is a shortage of small currency. They probably don't have the change to give you.

[jenniijones]

Small change is fairly worthless in value, thats why sometimes they offer you a sweet instead.

[jno]

the Italians used to do that 30 years ago, when their currency was wobbly. They used to reckon the Swiss stole all their small coins to use as weights in cuckoo clocks.

[alan30]

Thank you all