Türkiye is preparing a sweeping overhaul of its tobacco control regime, with draft legislation foreseeing a complete ban on the sale of tobacco products by 2040, alongside a broad expansion of public smoking restrictions in line with European Union public health targets, local media reported on April 10.
According to the proposal, expected to be submitted to parliament by the ruling party in coordination with the Health Ministry, the sale of all tobacco products will be prohibited as of Jan. 1, 2040.
The draft law introduces intermediate restrictions well ahead of that date. Smoking would be banned in the outdoor areas of restaurants and cafes, while designated smoking sections would be strictly separated and barred from serving food or drinks.
Tobacco purchases would no longer be allowed in cash, with all transactions recorded electronically as part of a monitoring system.
Penalties are set to escalate significantly. After 2040, individuals or entities involved in importing, producing, transporting, or selling tobacco products would face judicial fines ranging from 1 million to 5 million Turkish Liras ($22,000-$112,000).
Individuals found purchasing, possessing, or bringing tobacco products into the country could be subject to administrative fines between 50,000 and 250,000 liras, with all penalties subject to inflation adjustments over time.
The legislation also broadens the legal definition of tobacco products to include not only traditional items but also electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco, hookahs and devices containing synthetic or organic nicotine. Sales to minors would carry prison sentences of six months to one year.
Smoking would be prohibited across a wide range of public and semi-public spaces, including all educational institutions, healthcare facilities, places of worship, beaches, sports areas, and children’s parks, regardless of whether they are open or enclosed.
Additional provisions regulate smoking infrastructure in public spaces, such as the installation of smoking cabins on beaches at intervals of no less than 200 meters.
Enforcement authority would shift from municipalities to centrally appointed local administrators, including governors and district governors, who would establish dedicated inspection teams.
Sanctions for violations would be substantially tightened, with fines ranging from 5,000 to 10 million liras and escalating to business license revocations or temporary closures in cases of repeated non-compliance. Individuals smoking in prohibited areas would face fines of 5,000 liras.
The “Dumansız Hava Sahası” (Smoke-Free Airspace) initiative, launched in 2009, introduced comprehensive indoor smoking bans and strict advertising restrictions, significantly reducing exposure to secondhand smoke.
Subsequent measures expanded warning labels, limited tobacco marketing, and strengthened enforcement, laying the groundwork for the more ambitious long-term prohibition now under consideration.
