Pandemic-induced alcohol sales ban driven by ideology - Turkish alcohol producer

The decision by Turkish authorities to ban the sale of alcohol by licensed vendors during lockdowns is driven by government ideology, spokesman for the formerly state-owned tobacco and alcohol producer TEKEL said on Tuesday.

The Turkish government on Tuesday announced that it was banning supermarkets and variety stores from selling alcohol over the weekend, following last week’s ban on the sale of alcohol at night in major cities.

Earlier this month, Turkey introduced a string of new restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19, such as a nightly curfew on weekdays and a mandatory stay-at-home order covering the entire weekend.

Supermarkets and grocery stores will be allowed to open to meet the needs of citizens, starting this weekend, but specialised alcohol and tobacco shops will not.

TEKEL Vendors Platform Spokesman Özgür Aybaş told BBC Turkish that his organisation had lodged a complaint of unfair competition, as  chain supermarkets were able to continue selling alcohol while specialised TEKEL shops lost revenue.

Corner shops and small variety stores were made to pay the price for the ban, Aybaş said. 

According to the TEKEL vendors’ representative, the complaint was not ideologically-driven.

Critics of Turkey’s ruling Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP) accuse the party of pursuing increasingly conservative policies during their 18 years in power.

Pundits point to Turkey’s mosques, which continue to remain for Friday prayers, despite nationwide restrictions, as an example of the AKP’s skewed policies.