Turkey hikes special consumption tax on alcohol products by 1,543 percent in 13 years
The Turkish government has increased the special consumption tax on alcoholic beverages by 1,543 percent in 13 years, tax expert Ozan Bingöl revealed.
Duvar English
Tax expert Ozan Bingöl on July 23 announced that the Turkish government has increased the special consumption tax (ÖTV) on alcohol products by 1,543 percent in 13 years.
In a tweet, Bingöl said “The ÖTV, which was 51.48 Turkish Liras per liter of alcohol in 2010, is 845.96 Turkish Liras today. 12-year increase of 1543%! While 5 lira of every 100 lira ÖTV collected in 2006 was collected from alcohol, this figure reached 11 lira in 2022. In the coming days, another ÖTV increase is likely to happen in alcohol and tobacco products!”
In July, alcoholic beverages saw a 14.81% price rise following a special tax increase calculated according to the 6-month inflation figures.
Critics say President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) are imposing Islamic values on the country through steps such as steep tax hikes on alcohol and cigarettes.
In 2002, at the beginning of its tenure, the AKP introduced a “special consumption tax” (ÖTV) on alcohol and tobacco products in the name of "benefitting public health."