Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Calis Beach Forum => Calis Beach Questions and Information => Topic started by: Scunner on May 24, 2013, 09:45:55 AM
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The Turkish government imposed a strict ban on alcohol advertising and tightened restrictions on sales, totally prohibiting the sale in stores of alcohol from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. -- a proposal the government insists is aimed at protecting the young from the negative effects of alcohol consumption.
The severe limitation on sale of alcohol stirred debates in social media after the bill led by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was approved in Parliament late on Thursday.
Turkish lawmakers earlier on in the day began debating the controversial bill, seeking to extend the scale of the ban in public sphere.
Turkish Daily News (http://www.todayszaman.com/news-316365-turkish-government-plans-to-impose-strict-ban-on-alcohol-sales-and-ads.html)
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I can live with this BUT is it the thin end of the wedge? Will they drive alcohol underground? When do they decide that they have gone far enough? When its completely banned and their tourist trade is flushed down the loo with it?
It's up to the Turkish people to decide what they want the next time they get a chance to vote. If this party get in again then we will have to assume the majority want to restrict sales and even ban it. That would mean a State like The UAE where there are severe punishments for those who are drunk/ drink in public.
I'm not sure the Turkish tourist trade could survive that.
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The UAE like all similar despotic supposedly Islamic states is a total Hypocracy. There is
so much Vice there it is hard to walk 10 feet in a Hotel without encountering a Prostitute and there was one Establishment there called the Garage (Gone now) that was so blatant with it they used to sell T-Shirts emblazoned "I have been serviced at the Garage" !! :) I lioved in duabi a long time and the bars and Nightclubs were packed with very drunk people who paid a high price for Alchohol. Eevry so often some over zealous cop would arrest someone and the Government make a gesture to thye Islamists then back to Business as Usual. As is the same the World over, soomeone is making a great deal of money :) Next we will see "Licenses" at very high costs in "Tourist Hotels" in Turkey, then "licenses" to buy Alchohol (expensive of course)!
Problem is we only see a small part of Turkey, the vast Hinterland is rural and we would consider backward, the people are poor and wherever you find poverty you find slavish adhesion to religion, the people have little else. They dont care about the Tourist trade, does nothing for them!
Well, if we are going to see this wedge broaden it will be back to Greece for me and I suspect many, certainly I no longer consider buying property in Turkey, it is simply not stable under the Islamists.
Poor Mustafa Kemal must be spinning in his grave to see what they are doing to his wonderful Secular state!
All this is of course just my opinion
Meldrew
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We are guests in this Country and the Turkish people will decide which way they want to go.Should,nt get involved in their politics but normally when a party has been in too long they start to take liberties and get voted out.I feel Ataturk would have somthing to say about the current Turkish political issues.
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......when a party has been in too long they start to take liberties and get voted out.
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Yes, other people's liberties.
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why is everyone panicking.....if its anything like all the other laws here,it will rarely be enforced
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Well if prices this year are anything to go by, the they'll all be out of business soon. Frequented a particular bar on our 2 holidays last year. They offered a very competitive 6 TL for a vodka and coke. This holiday 10 TL and in narrower glasses
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Its no different then the UK where supermarkets stop selling booze after a certain time. Dont know why everyone is getting in a tizz about this.
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Nor me.
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They don't need to impose these laws, just keeping the current pricing policy will keep me away from many of the bars. Last night following a lovely meal at Mozaik Bachce we decided to have a nightcap in the car cemetery, my friend ordered a JD & Coke (20tl) and our cocktails were 16tl each. I make that about £25 for 4 drinks, too much for me.
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It's hardly a tizz!! It's a comment that some readers might feel useful when planning spending money for their hols.
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Yes they are only bringing laws in line with what we have been used to in the UK for many years. Our off licences don't open too late do they? Also try buying booze in the US and Oz. It's very restricted in those countries. We had a nightmare trying to buy take out beer in Melbourne the other year. In the US we had to find a liquor store which wasn't easy.
I think the worry here is that its all moving so fast and people worry where it will end.
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We have noticed a big price rise since our last visit. Also Calis seems to be quiet, last night restaurants closing at 11.pm. We were in Georges which seemed was quite busy but Sercuk 1 next door had hardly anyone in and the lights went off and it was closed up. We have never seen this before.
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In the US we had to find a liquor store which wasn't easy.
Why would you want to find a liquor store which was hard ?
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Ha ha - comma missed out! I blame apple ;)
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I do feel that the religious reasons for high taxes and restrictions on alcohol sales will put a big dampener on holiday makers. Don't the Turkish government realise how reliant the country is on the tourist industry. Most people on their holidays enjoy a drink without getting totally drunk. Will consider any holiday in Turkey in future, if these laws are passed.
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I do feel that the religious reasons for high taxes and restrictions on alcohol sales will put a big dampener on holiday makers. Don't the Turkish government realise how reliant the country is on the tourist industry. Most people on their holidays enjoy a drink without getting totally drunk. Will consider any holiday in Turkey in future, if these laws are passed.
At last, someone from the real World posts a proper opinion
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Hang on! How much difference will it make to your holiday if you can't buy booze in a shop after 10pm?
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None Stoop.
Don't know what all the fuss is about.
If you want to buy alcohol, go before 10pm
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Not a great deal of difference and the restaurants will just borrow from a neighbouring bar if they run out.
For me this is not the main issue, what really worries me is the "hidden agenda" of this government - the erosion of the secular State of Turkey - the country we all fell in love with. Posters on here have spoken about the rise in prices of alcohol this year, this will continue to happen as RTE has stated that he will continue to levy heavy taxes on alcohol. A couple of years down the line alcohol will be so expensive that bars and restaurants will be unable to survive. How much fun will a ghost town Calis be then? Will you still want to come on holiday? Maybe you will want to sell your property, who will want to buy?
There are many other areas where we see secularism being eroded but I won't bore you
Changes in the law regarding drunken driving, the wearing of seat belts, crash helmets etc. can only be a good thing but only if enforced.
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Agreed Marggie!
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Of course it is about eroding the secular state, which is why the law includes a change whereby the sale of alcohol is banned within a 100 metres of a mosque. LIke I said in a similar thread that would have a massive impact on an area like Hisaranu where the mosque is in the centre of the town. And not trying to stir things up any more than thy are with this issue, but why do we assume that retail outlets do not include bars??
It probably won't make a great deal of difference to my life here in Turkey if I can't buy a drink after 10, or that a number of businesses go under because they can no longer sell alcohol for one reason or another related to this law, or indeed that Turkey will no longer be attractive as destination for tourists (the Turkish people are entitled to shoot themselves in the foot if they choose), but it will make a great difference to how I view how Turkey. I will no longer see a country successfully on a path to modernity, but one that is looking backwards for its answers.
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The thing about this is that it's not the end of the government's policy on alcohol, merely another step. I don't know what the next step is but I would hazard a guess at further restrictions on the sale of booze, maybe a ban on outdoor drinking or a restriction on opening times of bars (it wasn't that long ago that we had to stop drinking at 11PM in the UK).
Tourism is worth somewhere around $30billion to Turkey and is second only to manufacturing in the size of it's contribution to the Turkish economy; if people think that they won't be able to enjoy a couple of beers because it's difficult to buy it or too expensive, then they will go elsewhere. Spain, Portugal, Greece are established holiday destinations with flailing economies and they would welcome some of Turkey's 30000000+ holidaymakers and the money they bring.
I note that Erdogan (sp?) wants to attract Muslim tourists from the middle east, but how many is he going to attract, nowhere near those from Europe/Russia who will abandon Turkey.
Then there is the effect on property, a lack of demand will see property prices falling and those people lucky to live there may see the value of their property drop significantly.
This is a battle between ideology and economy, and if ideology is in the ascendancy, then the economy will suffer.
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None Stoop.
Don't know what all the fuss is about.
If you want to buy alcohol, go before 10pm
If you want to buy alcohol, go before 2015 ;)
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Don't know if you remember but one of the earlier laws closed all Pork abatouirs (spelling) The reason was nothing to do with religion but as they did not meet EU standards. ( As if all the other's did)
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Of course it is about eroding the secular state, which is why the law includes a change whereby the sale of alcohol is banned within a 100 metres of a mosque. LIke I said in a similar thread that would have a massive impact on an area like Hisaranu where the mosque is in the centre of the town. And not trying to stir things up any more than thy are with this issue, but why do we assume that retail outlets do not include bars??
It probably won't make a great deal of difference to my life here in Turkey if I can't buy a drink after 10, or that a number of businesses go under because they can no longer sell alcohol for one reason or another related to this law, or indeed that Turkey will no longer be attractive as destination for tourists (the Turkish people are entitled to shoot themselves in the foot if they choose), but it will make a great difference to how I view how Turkey. I will no longer see a country successfully on a path to modernity, but one that is looking backwards for its answers.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/05/2013524101622966667.html
Only shops at the moment.
From The Times:
Retail sales will be banned between 10pm and 6am, and no new licences to serve or sell alcohol will be issued within 100 metres of mosques and/or schools.
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I find that the older I get the more I drink at home, in which case this will hardly effect me. The tourist trade is a different matter altogether, I cant see how Turkey could exist as a tourist destination with this type of policy. But I guess they know best.
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Well, the price of alcohol in the bars and restaurants is really up in price, noticed that last year cocktails where 10 lira this year 16 lira.
When, in the past we have been out for a meal, with a couple of drinks, it's usually around 80-90 lira. This year it's over 100 lira. Last night at the Bambu it was 135 lira. We cannot remember ever paying these sort of prices even since last September.
We are getting the feeling that people may not come back to Turkey for a holiday, because in the past, they would pay more for a flight, but now they have to factor in the costs of eating out too.
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I guess I am fairly typical, I came to Turkey the first time as I didn't have a lot of spare cash at the time and it looked excellent value for money and nice enough. When I got here I found it so many times nicer than I ever imagined, the scenery, the fantastic sights to visit, the food, the people and have not been anywhere else since as so many places I still want to see and I love Calis.
Any Business knows that new business is the lifeblood of the organisation, so, if new people don't continually give Turkey a try they wont turn into regular visitors to replace those who maybe don't come that year, or, as we age, only have one destination!
I nearly didn't pursue Turkey as it was in my eyes still an Islamic state and I was concerned about restrictions and the attitude to non-muslims, well -- it proved me very wrong, and I so wish that when I lived just a couple of hours away that I didn't go to Turkey back in 1990. I was living in an Islamic country, and it really wasn't even considered -- mistake -- then, but if it drifts toward Islamism then people wont go there. The new Business will dry up and the Company will go bust!
Taxing things so that prices rise will make it no longer attractive, the western Mediterranean we can at a push go by train or cheap flight, and whilst the Hotels are more expensive, if overall costs start to match why sit for 4 hours in a cramped uncomfortable aircraft? A short flight perhaps to see the glories of Florence, Sienna, Parma? The architectural wonders and History of the Bay of Naples? Right now costs a lot more than Turkey --- but --- if it was just a bit more or the same?? -- I would probably have been in Sorrento this year and not Calis!
Mind you there are the Middle Eastern Tourists that you could attract easily, well the men anyway as the women wont be allowed to come, and of course you will need to be more like Dubai or Bangkok so the Hotels will be booming with all the "girls" that they will want, very Islamic :)
The real issue is will the majority of Turkish people care if the Tourists go? If they don't and they like this Islamist Government then anything we feel is irrelevant really, "Dos Cerveza Por Favor" ????
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135 seems very expensive Jacqui.
Assuming 40 lira for drinks, that means 47.50 each for food :(
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On the upside, we've found that wine (our tipple) seems to be roughly the same as last year. At the Calis Chill Out at Guvens a bottle of white Angora was still 35 TL. In Mozaic it's still a reasonable 38 TL. Others vary at around 40-45 TL. For a small fee we'd be more than happy to conduct an in depth survey for you all!
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Re one comment in Blackadder's post, I am not 100% sure if it is the law right now but a ban on drinking in public places is definitely on the cards and has been reported in the Turkish press.
On the plus side less broken bottles and cans to clear off Çaliş beach at the beginning of the season ;)
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"Taxing things so that prices rise will make it no longer attractive, the western Mediterranean we can at a push go by train or cheap flight, and whilst the Hotels are more expensive, if overall costs start to match why sit for 4 hours in a cramped uncomfortable aircraft? A short flight perhaps to see the glories of Florence, Sienna, Parma? The architectural wonders and History of the Bay of Naples? Right now costs a lot more than Turkey --- but --- if it was just a bit more or the same?? -- I would probably have been in Sorrento this year and not Calis![/quote]
Here you go John :) I know which I would choose ;) & it ain't the Pelin :-X
Pelin Hotelstar-rating-3
In Calis
Prices •Per Person £393 - •for all of you £785
Flight info: Bristol
Board: Bed & Breakfast Room Type: Double room.
Outbound 07:50 10th Jun
Return 14:40 17th Jun
£400 pp Go to site
Le Galassiestar-rating-4
In Neapolitan Riviera, Italy
•Per Person £360 - •for all of you £719
Flight info:
Bristol Outbound 07:00 10th Jun
Bed & Breakfast Room Type: Double 1 or twin
Hotels £138 Flights £222
Price = £360pp total = £719.00
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This law about selling booze within 100 mtrs of a mosque is easily resolved ,just close or move th mosques
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(http://www.calisvilla.co.uk/tumbleweed2.gif)
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bottle of white Angora was still 35 TL. In Mozaic it's still a reasonable 38 TL.
Does anyone drink that stuff???? I have always poured that stuff away if a bottle found its way into my house.
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I think the 100mtr mosque rule states it's restricting new licences within that distance (schools as well). However - how long does a licence last? Will this mean renewals are refused in future?
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What would you recommend as a good dry white wine in Turkey? Always interested in others' opinions!
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Kavak is nice Lotty
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The Doluca Klassic Semillion (Green Label) is very nice.
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Thanks for your replies Kayakebab and Rimms. I used to drink Kavak when I first visited Turkey about 13 years ago, it was a bit rough then, but since trying it in the last couple of years it seems to have mellowed. I find it's best icy cold. Yes Rimms, we love your Doluca Classic and we flip between that and Angora. Depends what they sell? We tried Majestic which they used to sell in Izkele on Fethiye bay, sometimes it was good but often corked or on the edge at other times! I can taste 'off' wine a mile off! (experienced you might say!) If only I liked red wine more, I've heard there are some good ones here.
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1.5 ltr Kup. 14 TL. Don't try it warm but drinkable if very cold. Good filler for a get together.