Turkey Enacts Law Restricting Alcohol Sales and Modifying Land Use Rules

A new law enacted in Turkey, published in the Official Gazette, introduces significant regulatory changes concerning land use and the sale of alcoholic beverages. The "Law on Soil Conservation and Land Use and Amendments to Certain Laws" establishes new distance requirements for rice cultivation fields.

Under the new regulations, rice fields must be located at least 500 meters from the zoning boundaries of provincial and district centers. In villages and neighborhoods, this distance is set at 50 meters, measured from the outer perimeter of the nearest house to the edge of the cultivated area.

The law also imposes strict restrictions on the advertising and display of alcoholic beverages. Names, brands, logos, emblems, and any other visual identifiers associated with alcoholic drinks or the companies that produce, import, or market them will be prohibited from being displayed inside or outside workplaces, in shop windows, or at any event venues. Furthermore, the law prevents fermented alcoholic beverage brands from being marketed as distilled brands, and vice versa.

In addition to these changes, the legislation introduces administrative fines for hydroelectric energy production facilities. Companies failing to comply with operational instructions and programs set by the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) will face penalties ranging from 250,000 to 5 million Turkish Lira, calculated based on the facility's installed capacity per megawatt.