Deputy PM claims no ban on alcohol in Turkey

CHICAGO - Hürriyet

Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has denied claims that the regulations were tantamount to an alcohol ban. AA photo

Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has noted the impossibility of enacting bans on alcohol, noting their failure during Ottoman times, while claiming recent restrictions on drinks do not amount to a prohibition.

“There was only one sultan who attempted to ban alcohol during Ottoman times and this move was backfired. There has been a time when it is banned in the United States, but it backfired, too,” he said while addressing Seattle World Business Council members in Chicago over recent regulations limiting the advertisement and sales of alcohol in Turkey.

Babacan denied claims that the regulations were tantamount to an alcohol ban, adding that the regulations were similar to the ones already in effect in the U.S. such as limiting the times when alcohol is sold and ensuring sales do not occur near schools.