Turkey issues alcohol ban in another music fest

Turkish authorities banned alcohol sales and accommodation during a music festival in northwestern Bursa province.

The district governor of Bursa’s Nilufer Municipality also warned the officials via a written statement that a music ban should be applied after 01:00 a.m. at the 6th Nilufer Music Festival, Diken news website reported on Friday. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who says he is a devout Muslim, is 

an opponent of alcohol consumption. Last April, his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government banned the sale of alcohol during a lockdown imposed in fight with the coronavirus pandemic, and two months later in June, Erdogan announced that the playing of music in Turkey was banned after midnight.

The steps caused strong criticism among the nation, including the secular main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who described the bans as “ideological.”