Alcohol sale bans add more to small shop owners' struggles in pandemic

Photo: bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish

Alcohol sale bans imposed in some cities during the weekend curfews have left liquor shop owners confused as there is no such instruction by the Ministry of Interior.

In a circular, the ministry specified the implementation of the new coronavirus announced in late November, restricting the working hours of liquor and grocery stores between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

CLICK - Small restaurant, bar owners struggle with new restrictions: 'We are in a deadlock'

The circular does not mention alcohol sales. Yet in some cities, including Ankara, the capital, security directorates reportedly informed businesses that it banned off-license shops from selling alcoholic beverages on the weekend.

The provincial Public Hygiene Committees on Friday (December 11) decided to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages during the curfew and inform businesses about the decision. Off license shops' associations notified their members of the decision on the same day.

Shops that sell both food and alcoholic beverages are the most affected by this ban.

Minister explained the ban to a columnist

The reason for the ban was "announced to the public" by Nagehan Alçı, a pro-government columnist for Habertürk, who quoted Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu in an article published on Saturday.

Accordingly, the minister told Alçı that "The decision we have taken as the state is in line with the world. Those who want to waters by starting a debate out of anything should look at the examples in Europe.

"There are no different applications from what is done in Europe. We keep saying 'social distancing.' Drinks have an impact that reduces social distance. We are of course right to impose a restriction."

Legal action was taken against shops that didn't comply with the alcohol ban for "violating measures related to infectious diseases" as per Article 195 of the Turkish Penal Code.

"Tradespeople can't pay rents"

Erol Dündar, who chairs the Off License Shops Solidarity Association, told bianet that submitted a petition to the Ministry of Interior and the governors of all 81 provinces but have yet to receive a response.

"According to the ... circular, shopkeepers have the right to work. Security forces that shut down allowed chain stores' [alcohol] sales last weekend. We have documented this; submitted our petition.

"... These people have payment plans. There are the payments they make with their endorsement on the weekend. When you keep these people closed, you turn the whole balance of payments upside down."

He also claimed id that keeping small shops closed caused overcrowding in chain stores. "This is why keeping small shops open is safer. You increase the risk by getting small shops closed. "

"Tradespeople can already hardly pay their rents. They run the business with credit cards, checks and deeds. Tradespeople that are in trouble because of the pandemic have even more difficulties.

"By restricting this sector, you put more than two million people throughout Turkey into the army of the unemployed."

"Authorities pass the buck to one another"

Özgür Aybaş, the founder of the Platform of Off License Shops of Turkey, said that they were not able to get a clear explanation of the situation from authorities.

"We called the governor's office. It says, 'We don't have such a decision.' We called the Ministry of Interior. They pass the buck to the Security Directorate. And they say, 'There are [bans] in some places we don't know exactly. Everyone gives vague answers about the issue, they don't give a clear answer," said Aybaş.

"Customers are fined as well. Last week, a fine of 3,150 lira [~400 US dollars] was imposed. The same fine was imposed on the shop owner as well.

"A tradesperson was detained handcuffed behind the back. After a public opinion emerged, the Menemen District Security Directorate apologized."

"We don't know whether we will sell alcohol"

While tradespeople's chambers and associations have informed their members about the ban, some were not aware of it until Friday night.

The owner of a grocery in İstanbul's Şişli district told bianet about an hour before the curfew came into effect on Friday night that he has no information about the ban.

"We don't know whether we will sell alcoholic drinks on the weekend. There is no circular, we are waiting for a message from the chamber but it still hasn't come," he said.

Lütfi Saraç (We changed his name at his request), who runs a grocery store in the western province of İzmir, said he called the chamber after receiving a message that alcohol sales were banned.

"Those who don't sell drinks will keep open, they can sell everything but we can't. We can already only sell drinks and cigarettes. What will we sell? Why do we open these shops?

"The chamber says, 'We defend you but there is nothing to do. This is the last point.'

"Everyone has debts, I'm sure that 90 percent of the tradespeople have debts. For example, there is a big Migros [chain store] right across [the street]. Everyone is piling up there, no one comes to us." (DŞ/VK)