Turkish government imposes strict ban on alcohol sales and ads

[stoop]

Agreed Marggie!

[usedbustickets]

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.

[BlackAdder]

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.

[Scunner]

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  

[jackstee]

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)

[stoop]

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.

[tiggsy]

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.

[Jacqui Harvey]

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.

[johntaylor49]

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" ?

[Highlander]

135 seems very expensive Jacqui.

Assuming 40 lira for drinks, that means 47.50 each for food