Alcohol — Turkey
What travelers need to know about alcohol in Turkey. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Alcohol in Turkey: restricted — there are real limits travelers must follow.
Shops in Turkiye cannot sell alcohol between 22:00 and 06:00 anywhere in the country. Licensed bars and restaurants can still serve you on the premises - the ban hits retail sales, not drinking.
The fine falls on the seller, not the buyer. Art. 7(1)(f) of Law No. 4250 sets an administrative fine of 65,000 to 320,000 Turkish lira, imposed by the local civil administrator (mahalli mulki amir), and a third breach within five years cancels the outlet's retail and open-alcohol sales licences for two years. Those lira figures are statutory base amounts revalued annually under Law No. 5326 art. 17(7), so the amount actually charged is higher. Separately, being drunk and disturbing others in public carries a small on-the-spot administrative fine and being held until you sober up (Law No. 5326 art. 35).
§ Republic of Turkiye, Presidency Legislation Information System (mevzuat.gov.tr) - consolidated text of Law No. 4250, Ispirto ve Ispirtolu Ickiler Inhisari Kanunu, arts. 6, 7 and 9, with the per-paragraph "Yururluge Giris Tarihi" table used to date the night ban to 11/9/2013. Amending Law No. 6487 confirmed in the Resmi Gazete of 11 June 2013, No. 28674. Public-drunkenness provision from Law No. 5326 (Kabahatler Kanunu) art. 35; municipal power from Law No. 5393 art. 15(b).Verified Sep 8, 2026