Extensive smoking ban starts today...
I haven't yet been out and observed the situation. I wonder how one can ever ban smoking in traditional Turkish coffeehouses. I assume in many local small coffeehouse the ban won't be executed in near future. It is probable that this might be a new source of income -aka bribe- for some officials that are supposed to observe the legislation in localities.
I also wonder if this legislation which is the idea of some AKP MEPs has some ulterior motives. the PM does not like smoking and is actively against it and here comes a point where PM may like you very much by your legislation:)
Turkey expands smoking curbs
Smoking is banned from most enclosed public spaces in Turkey but smokers can still light up in cafes for another year.
Advertiser:
Cigarro Mata Mais / Smoking kills more
Agency:
F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi
Source:
Josh Spear
Smoking Ban Starts Tomorrow
The smoking ban starts tomorrow in public buildings, schools, workplaces, shopping centers, theaters, cinemas, public transport, and taxis, A smoking ban in coffeehouses, eateries, bars, etc., begins in June 2009. There will be a fine of 50 YTL for anyone smoking in a prohibited area, 20 YTL for throwing a cigarette packet or butt on the ground, and hefty fines for owners of the establishments, between 500 and 5000 YTL. Selling cigarettes to anyone under 18 will land you in jail for 6 months to a year. (click for article, in Turkish)
A poll of Istanbul residents showed the following:
Turkey without tobacco?
Well, not exactly, but starting Monday, May 19th, new restrictions on smoking take effect. This could be welcome news for many travelers who find Istanbul’s bustling cafes hard to stomach because of the cloud of tobacco fumes. But whether the new rules will prove effective is another question"Reluctant Turks prepare for smoking ban
Turkey's "public places smoking ban" goes into effect on MondayTurkey readies to go cold turkey
While smokers and businesses are still trying to understand the extent of the new smoking regulations that will come in effect Monday, many believe it will not be easy to implement theLeyla Gencer
Le Monde (France), 14 mai 2008, 21Renaud Machart
La soprano turque a souffert du statut de légende vivante de sa rivale, Maria Callas. Les témoignages de son art ont le plus souvent été captés sur le vifAfro-Turks
Leaders of Turkey’s community of Turks with African ancestors have begun after many years to celebrate again their traditonal cow festival on the first Saturday of May.
photo from Today’s ZamanBlood Feuds in South-East Turkey
My sister pointed me to an interesting article today from Turkish Daily News about blood feuds in South-East Turkey.
The article tells the story of a man whose job is to help resolve blood feuds between warring clans throughout Turkey. It includes a lot of very enlightening information about how the whole system works and how prevalent it is in the political, cultural and economic struggles of that region.
[MONDAY TALK]Turkish youths want to be heard
Aygen Aytaç, the national human development report coordinator for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Turkey, says young people in Turkey are excluded from decision-making processes and that this exclusion starts in the family.Is Turkey concerned about youth issues?
Today is May 19, Youth and Sports Day. We will be hearing bold remarks by statesmen and bureaucrats. That is to say, most are clichés repeated over and over again.The Raki Wars
Parliament has introduced an amendment to the law on alcoholic beverage sales, prohibiting the outdoor sale of alcoholic beverages and requiring that the drink be consumed directly from the bottle. The alcohol is served to the table in a bottle and the customer opens its cap. What about people who just want to order one glass of, say, raki? The Zaman columnist Mumtaz’er Turkone suggests that producers will have to produce smaller-sized bottles. “Some producers have actually already done so. Currently, there are small packages equivalent to two glasses on the market.”
Raki: forbidden???
Last Tuesday I was in the office of a friend, the manager of a big company. Every morning he receives three newspapers; Referans (the Wall Street Journal of Turkey), Turkish Daily News (Turkey’s most English prominent daily,) and Hurriyet (Turkey’s most popular newspaper.)
Freedom to have a glass of rakı by MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE
The Hürriyet daily recently published a headline that commented on alcoholic beverages; the headline, "A glass of rakı is banned," is well beyond a mere news report and reflects concerns over the country's secular character.