'Halal beer' flops in Turkey
Turkish consumers reject even nonalcoholic beer for various cultural reasons.
While the official justification for restricting alcohol sales and advertisement in Turkey has always nominally been to protect public health, many seem to agree that the state’s Islamist/conservative leaders are imposing their politicized beliefs on others, and view alcohol regulations as interference into private life by a particular religious ideology.
The latest tax increase on alcoholic drinks from the beginning of this year is a case in point. It hit beer the hardest: While the special consumption tax on raki (Turkey's famous anis-flavored drink), vodka and gin rose to 10% and 9.97% for wine, it is 15.63% for beer, making Turkey's excise taxes some of the highest in Europe.
![Yellow capped new bottles of Turkish liquor of "Yeni Raki" remain packed at a alcohol sales spot in Istanbul March 9, 2005. A Turkish alcohol company on Tuesday ordered the recall of millions of bottles of Turkish liquor as the death toll from a bootleg version of the drink rose to at least 22.[ Galip Yorgancioglu, chief executive of Mey Drinks, said the firm was recalling all 0.7-litre bottles of Tekel brand raki, a popular anise-flavoured drink. Other sizes and brands would remain on shelves. ] - PBEAHUOC](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2017/11-1/RTXNAY7.jpg/RTXNAY7.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=UQholvmN)
