It's hard to blame Turkish drinkers for being a conspiratorial-minded bunch. Over the last decade, since the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power, they have seen taxes on alcohol rise to astronomical levels, bans on outdoor seating for bars instituted in parts of Istanbul and Turkish Airlines, the national carrier, develop a no-alcohol policy for some of its routes.
More recently, Turkish imbibers -- particularly those who like to drink raki, the anise-flavored spirit that many consider to be Turkey's national drink -- got a scare when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the country's real national beverage was the yogurt-based (and alcohol-free) ayran. Could this be the opening salvo of a new assault on alcoholic beverages, some wondered?
Perhaps so. As Reuters reports, the AKP is now preparing a new bill which would put new limits on how alcoholic drinks are advertised and where they can be served. From Reuters:
The bill, which was sent to parliament on Friday, would also ban companies that produce alcohol from sponsoring events, restrict where alcoholic drinks are sold and consumed, and require Turkish producers to place health warnings on packaging.
"Our aim is to protect society, particularly children and youth from taking up these habits at an early age, and not to limit an adult's alcohol consumption," Yahya Akman, a lawmaker in the ruling AK Party and one of the draft's signatorees, told Reuters on Monday....
....The bill, expected to become a law before parliament recesses in July, would bar venues that allow the sale and consumption of alcohol from openly displaying the products to people outside.
The government says it is not attempting to interfere in people's lives and is trying to bring Turkey up to European norms by controlling alcohol sales and protecting the younger generation as it negotiates to enter the EU.
"This is to make sure that alcohol consumption is not encouraged among young people. The state has a responsibility to protect the family and the public," Akman said.
Turkish bar owners are not likely to replace their raki bottles with ayran containers anytime soon, but they and alcoholic beverage manufacturers are clearly looking at a future where their activities are going to be curtailed and the booze will not flow as freely as it once did.
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