Turkey blocks access to websites of major alcohol brands

Courts have blocked access to the official websites of several internationally recognized alcohol brands following decisions by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry’s Tobacco and Alcohol Department.

According to the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), a group monitoring online censorship in Turkey, three separate rulings resulted in access restrictions on six global alcohol brand websites: Chivas Regal, Jameson, Jack Daniel’s, Ballantine’s, Martini, and Bacardi.

Unlike country-specific sites tailored for the Turkish market, the blocked websites were the brands’ global platforms. These websites typically require users to verify their age before accessing content. Until now, website restrictions of this kind had not been implemented.

While the sale of alcoholic beverages is legal in Turkey, advertising alcohol is prohibited. 

There are also some restrictions on alcohol sales and high taxes on beverages, which critics view as part of the government's broader cultural stance against alcohol consumption. Taxes on high-alcohol beverages such as rakı and whiskey are particularly steep, with more than 60% of the retail price of spirits.

Such high taxes led to many people producing their beverages at home, as well as illicit production, which caused dozens of deaths in Turkey in recent months.

Additionally, businesses that sell alcohol after 10 pm face fines ranging from 341,000 to 1.6 million liras (9,300 to 44,000 US dollars). Despite the ban, many businesses continue to sell alcohol at night, but for smaller establishments, these fines pose a significant financial risk. (VK)