In recent years, indirect taxes on alcoholic beverages and tobacco products have been presented as an easy source of government revenues, but in fact create serious problems for public health, individual freedoms and a fair economy. High taxes and conservative interventions make legal products inaccessible and drive consumers to unregulated, illicit products. Counterfeit alcohol and unregistered tobacco cause death, disability and social trauma. As the AKP government pursues its strategy of shaping citizens' lifestyles through hikes and bans, public health and safety are paying the price.
Alcohol The Tax Burden and the Cost of Prohibition
The price of a standard 70-liter raki with an alcohol content of rose from around 180 TRY in 2021 to 1,095-1,100 TRY in 2025. During this period, SCT increased to 614.56 TL, while taxes, together with VAT, account for approximately of the total price. While increasing taxes during the AKP era increased state revenues, it also restricted the economic access of the public and fed the unregistered and counterfeit liquor market by pushing people away from safe alcohol.
Not to mention the bans: A ban on alcohol sales after 22:00 from 2013, a ban on advertising on television and digital media, and restrictions on sales around schools and places of worship are conservative measures that interfere with the choices of young people and adults. While the aim is presented as reducing alcohol consumption, the actual effect is complex: more people are drinking, but the per capita amount is still limited; high taxes and bans increase the consumption of counterfeit and smuggled alcohol and informal consumption. This shows that the government's strategy of shaping individual lifestyles comes at a direct cost to society.
Alcohol Policy and Consequences of the AKP Era in Turkey (2002-2025)
In the post-2002 AKP period, alcohol policies were shaped by bans, regulations and high taxes. While the official per capita consumption of pure alcohol was 1.31 liters in 2005, it rose to 1.55 liters in 2012 and declined to 1.39 liters in 2015. It was recorded at 1.57 liters in 2021, 1.76 liters in 2024 and 1.7 liters in 2025.
In the 2025 surveys, .6 of the population over the age of 18 reported drinking at least once in their lives, while reported being regular drinkers. Although bans and taxes have partially reduced official sales, the number of people is still increasing; high taxes and bans have increased the consumption of unregistered and counterfeit alcohol. This shows the damaging consequences of the AKP's conservative and price-oriented policy discourse on public health and economic balance.
Cigarettes: Tax Increase and Informal Market
A similar picture exists for cigarettes. Recent high hikes and taxes have led consumers to alternative products and the informal market. Smuggled tobacco has become both cheaper and easily available. Experts emphasize that tax hikes on cigarettes increase the demand for smuggled tobacco, which negatively affects both the state's health policies and tax revenues. This is a direct consequence of the government's strategy of shaping lifestyles through price hikes.
Lack of Control and Illicit Production: The Cost of Conservative Prohibition
High taxes and bans on alcohol and tobacco products led to increased illicit production and sales. In 2025, there were dozens of deaths from counterfeit alcohol; at least 54 people died in an operation in the capital, with 40 people treated in intensive care. The contraband tobacco market has also led to an increase in unregulated and unhealthy products. These are not just individual disasters, but a social crisis, and reveal the cost of the AKP's lifestyle interventions.
Unjust Taxation and Conservative Policies
The high tax burden puts legal producers and sellers in a difficult situation. Unfair competition is created with uncontrolled and illegal producers. This tax-based system also penalizes legally compliant consumers. The AKP's conservative approach has combined the argument of luxury consumption with tax policy by limiting economic access, with the result that legal products are now out of reach for many citizens. This is a clear example of the government's strategy to increase its control over society and shape lifestyles.
What to do?
- Indirect taxes should be revised; long-term health, economic justice and social welfare should be considered instead of short-term revenue policy.
- Taxes should be fair to ensure the availability of legal products, and consumers should have access to affordable, quality and safe products.
- Inspection mechanisms should be strengthened; effective, continuous and widespread inspections should be carried out against the production, distribution and sale of illicit alcohol and tobacco. Deterrent penalties should be applied.
- Raise public awareness and publicize the risks of counterfeit and contraband products. Health, safety and public interest should be prioritized.
“We face a collective risk in the name of ”indirect taxation and conservative bans"
Indirect taxes and prohibitionist conservative policies may increase government revenues on the surface, but in the long run they threaten public health, individual freedoms and economic stability. This system, which makes it difficult to access legal products and leads to unregulated markets, pays a heavy price for short-term gains. As the AKP government carries out its strategy of shaping lifestyles through hikes and bans, the public's health, safety and economic justice pay the price. The state should re-evaluate its tax policies and prohibition practices and take steps to revitalize the legal alcohol and tobacco market, make safe products accessible to consumers and deter illegal production. Otherwise, we face a collective risk under the name of “indirect taxation and conservative prohibitions”.