Turkish Interior Minister Confirms National Alcohol Ban Ongoing

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2021) Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu shared on Friday a statement saying that the national ban on alcohol sales is still in effect after reports that it had been lifted.

Soylu retweeted a statement published by the governor's office of Kutahya province.

"Some media have published intentional news claiming that alcohol sale is permitted ... Restrictions on sales of alcohol continue to be in force in our province on a par with all 81 provinces of Turkey," the statement read.

Ozgur Aybas, the founder of the Liquor Stores Platform of Turkey, tweeted earlier on Friday that the alcohol sale ban has been lifted. Some users argued, however, that they still encountered restrictions in stores, prompting the ban controversy.

The Turkish government banned sale of alcohol on Tuesday as part of a 19-day COVID-19 lockdown until May 17. Many secular Turks decried the decision, accusing President Tayyip Erdogan of imposing a religious lifestyle on all society.