Alcohol laws of Turkey

Alcohol laws of Turkey regulate the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Regulations on sale and consumption have been re arranged down to EU norms in recent years under the governments of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The laws are enforced by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority (TAPDK).

The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the Islamic faith, but was practised widely in the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. Murad IV (1612 - 1640) forbade drinking alcohol by law despite being a drinker himself. Turkey has been a secular country since its establishment in 1923, and the consumption of rakı in particular is a significant part of Turkey's food culture. However, today, 83% of adult Turks are teetotal, and at 1.5 litres per head, alcohol consumption is the lowest in Europe.

In Turkey, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is age limited to persons 18 and over. A governmental act imposed in January 2011 restricted the sale of alcohol at various events to persons under 24 years of age rather than 18 as it was previously established. However, the ban was lifted by the court on May 24.

Turkey's driving under the influence law gives a blood alcohol content limit of 0.05mg/ml (as of January 2013) and 0 for commercial drivers.Under the new 2013 laws, breaching the drink-driving limit is punishable with a six-month driving ban.

Licences are required in Turkey to sell or serve alcohol; they are administered by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority. In 2008 shops with retail licenses were barred from selling alcohol out of its original packaging, preventing the custom of some shops of setting up chairs and tables outside to become de facto small bars.

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