- Title: TURKEY: Coffee shop owners gather to protests smoking ban
- Date: 19th August 2009
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (AUGUST 18, 2009) (REUTERS) SMOKING PROTEST IN PROGRESS COFFEE SHOP OWNERS WAVING CIGARETTES AND CIGARETTE BOXES COFFEE SHOP OWNER WAVING A CIGARETTE IN HIS HAND VARIOUS OF PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) UNIDENTIFIED COFFEE SHOP OWNER, SAYING: "The owners of the coffee houses cannot earn money, nor the workers. It is one problem on top of another. People need to work to bring food to their homes, now we cannot do it." COFFEE SHOP OWNERS AT PROTEST ISTANBUL, TURKEY (AUGUST 18, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING IN FRONT OF CAFE PEOPLE SMOKING IN GARDEN MAN SMOKING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL CITIZEN, SUAT OZYAPRAK, SAYING "The ban of smoking indoors has a dissuasive effect on people. I know many people around me who gave up smoking because of this reason." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL CITIZEN, ENDER LACIN, SAYING "I continued smoking during the month after the ban regardless whether it was outdoor or indoor. I think this law is unnecessary." PEOPLE SMOKING IN CAFE
- Embargoed: 3rd September 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Turkey
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAV3RH32DGUAK8S87TYXGQV2RS
- Story Text: More than a thousand coffee house owners gathered in the Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday (August 18) to protest a smoking ban, which has been in effect since July.
The Turkish government, with the backing of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, has banned smoking in all public spaces including cafes, restaurants and bars.
Tuesday's protest was held in Ankara's Abdi Ipekci park where around two thousand people chanted, "Mr. Prime Minister we want a new policy regarding smoking."
The demonstration was headed by the Association of Coffee Shop Owners who say they are angry because the ban is harming their businesses.
"The owners of the coffee houses cannot earn money, nor the workers. It is one problem on top of another. People need to work to bring food to their homes, now we cannot do it," said one coffee shop owner who did not want to give his name.
But the general public in Turkey are divided over the law.
Istanbul resident, Suat Ozyaprak, said the ban was the right way to go, because it helped people quit smoking.
"The ban of smoking indoors has a dissuasive effect on people. I know many people around me who gave up smoking because of this reason," he said.
Others say the ban is ineffective if people really want to smoke.
"I continued smoking during the month after the ban regardless whether it was outdoor or indoor. I think this law is unnecessary," said Ender Lacin.
The Turkish government believes the ban will improve the health of its citizens, and encourage many to quit.
But the ban has seen the murder of one bar owner, who was killed after warning his customers not to smoke inside. In late July, a fight broke out after Hidir Karayigit ordered a group of customers to extinguish their cigarettes. A witness said that one of the customers shot Karayigit four times after he took away the group's cigarettes. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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