That day, Erdogan He arrived on the scene ready for battle. The year was 2013, the Turkish Government was literally counterattack alcohol, It banned the sale of these products in supermarkets and stores after 22:00 and their advertising on television.
The measures caused great turmoil Türkiyea constitutionally secular country; Criticisms came and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Islamist and conservative came out to speak passionately. “Why was a law passed? two drunk Does it apply to you?” Erdoğan asked himself the following question, referring to the two founders of Turkey: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk And İsmet İnönüThey are holy figures of the Anatolian country and both are known for their love of alcohol.
“Well, if that is valid, why would you reject an offer? The real truth stated by belief in God“?” Erdogan continued. His speech was one-sided, aimed at causing confusion. social division In Turkey: In the Anatolian country, alcohol and its consumption determine which social group you belong to and, to a lesser extent, which party you vote for.
“Alcohol has become a social identity tool In Turkey but with some nuances. In the long journey of historical conflict between them secular sectors And Islamists In modern Turkey, certain elements have always played a fundamental role in determining this social identity. “This is thanks to its powerful symbolism,” he explains. Barış Tuğrulsociologist and professor Hacettepe UniversityThis explains why one of these symbols, like alcohol, is: islamic veil In the 1990s, governments before Erdoğan banned its use in public institutions and universities.
“Alcohol has now become a political symbol. Repressive policies of IslamistsPeople who have been in power for over twenty years. The main reference of the current Government is not the Constitution, but Koran, Accordingly, alcohol consumption is a sin. “So beyond being a matter of yes or no to alcohol, the political power benefits from the symbolic representation of alcohol,” Tuğrul continues.
Drink and history
Alcohol has not only been a matter of debate in the last 100 years of the Republic of Türkiye: Ottoman EmpireAlcohol, its prohibitions, secrecy and consumption were discussed both in the streets and in the palace. Except for certain periods, alcohol consumption, production and distribution in this historical period illegal for MuslimsBut it’s legal for those who aren’t.
However, some sultans drank in public places and at receptions. Champagne It ran among guests and locals alike. Consumption on the streets was common, but total legalization Alcohol did not appear until the 1920s, the time of the collapse of the empire and the birth of the republic.
Actually, AtaturkThe promotion of alcohol was at such a level that the State monopolistic company Alcohol production and distribution, which now serves to promote the Turkish national drink: rakiA high-proof liqueur made from anise.
Now, 100 years later, with Erdogan in power, the story is very different. “Erdogan is a purely vengeful vision – ensures Özgür Aybaşpresident Alcohol and Tobacco Sellers Platform—. There are many problems like this in our country. robbery and violenceand the government attributes all of this directly to alcohol consumption. So the state puts some big taxes alcohol (more in some drinks) 250%) so people don’t drink.
However, according to Aybaş, this situation provides the opposite: The man assures that the consumption of other substances is encouraged with such expensive alcohol. bootleg alcohol. “What the government is doing is against the government” private lives people, their lifestyles,” says Aybaş.
public and private
So alcohol depends on context. A Turk who drinks in public, by doing this, act of political activism, social definition. Officially according to polls 25 percent of Turks use alcohol. But this figure hides the truth: What everyone does at home.
“A significant portion of the population in Turkey consumed alcohol before Erdoğan came to power, and I doubt that this consumption has decreased now,” says Tuğrul. “And I doubt that a study can reflect reliable data on this issue, because many people refuses to recognize alcohol consumption, especially among people who consume it conservative sectors. It is always said that the city KonyaErdogan, one of the most conservative places in the country where Erdogan always wins, is the city where the most alcohol is consumed. Of course it’s a urban legendHowever, this expression reflects a social reality: in today’s Turkey, Many people consume alcohol in private because they don’t want to risk doing it publicly for fear of losing their job, getting hurt, or being socially rejected.