Turkish court rejects top religious body's lawsuit against alcoholic beverage firm over rakı brand
An Istanbul court has rejected a lawsuit filed by the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) against Mey İçki for using the trademark "Yeni Rakı Âlâ." The Diyanet had argued in its lawsuit that the word "Âlâ" is used as "an adjective to express the majesty of Allah.”
Duvar English
The Istanbul Civil Court of Intellectual and Industrial Rights rejected a lawsuit filed in January 2019 by the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) against the alcoholic beverage firm Mey İçki, daily Birgün reported on Dec. 30.
The lawsuit concerns Mey İçki's use of the word "Âlâ" for one of its rakı brands, which Diyanet said is an "attribute of Allah."
“The word ‘âlâ’ is a word of Arabic origin, which refers to ‘very high’ in Turkish and is used to describe the highest level of heaven. In the Quran, it is used as an adjective to express the majesty of Allah,” the Diyanet argued in its lawsuit.
“It is not right to use one of God’s attributes as a trademark for an object that is religiously forbidden,” it also maintained.
The court rejected Diyanet's application, saying that it will give its reasoned decision later on.