Türkiye targets total tobacco ban by 2040

• Türkiye is preparing legislation that would phase out tobacco sales entirely by 2040 while imposing broader smoking restrictions in public and outdoor spaces.
• The draft bill would introduce tougher fines, centralize enforcement, require electronic payments for tobacco purchases, and impose prison terms for selling nicotine products to minors.

Türkiye is preparing a sweeping overhaul of its tobacco policy that would seek to phase out tobacco sales entirely by 2040 while imposing stricter restrictions on smoking in public and outdoor spaces.

The draft legislation, coordinated between the ruling party and the Health Ministry, is expected to be submitted to Parliament for review. If approved, it would introduce a series of restrictions over the coming years before the planned nationwide tobacco sales ban takes effect on January 1, 2040.

Wider smoking bans

Under the proposal, smoking would be prohibited in outdoor sections of cafes and restaurants, as well as on beaches, in sports areas, places of worship, healthcare facilities and educational institutions.

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Restaurants and cafes could maintain designated smoking areas only if they are physically separated from other areas and do not serve food or beverages.

On public beaches, smoking would be permitted only in specialized cabins positioned at least 200 meters apart.

Tobacco sales to be monitored

The legislation would also require tobacco transactions to be conducted electronically through a centralized tracking system, a measure intended to monitor distribution and curb illegal trade.

The draft would broaden the legal definition of tobacco products to include electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, hookahs and devices containing either organic or synthetic nicotine.

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Selling such products to minors would carry a mandatory prison sentence of between six months and one year.

Tougher penalties

Individuals caught smoking in prohibited public areas would face an immediate administrative fine of 5,000 Turkish liras.

After the 2040 ban, possession or purchase of tobacco products would be subject to fines ranging from 50,000 to 250,000 liras.

Businesses violating the restrictions could face fines ranging from 5,000 to 10 million liras. Repeated violations could result in temporary closure or the revocation of operating licenses.

After January 1, 2040, importing, manufacturing, transporting or selling tobacco products would constitute an offense punishable by judicial fines of between 1 million and 5 million liras, with the amounts subject to inflation adjustments.

Enforcement moves to central government

The proposed system would also shift enforcement responsibilities from local municipalities to central government officials.

Governors and district governors would oversee specialized inspection teams tasked with monitoring compliance and enforcing the new restrictions.

From smoke-free campaign to full phaseout

The proposal builds on Türkiye's "Dumansız Hava Sahası," or "Smoke-Free Airspace," campaign launched in 2009, which introduced broad indoor smoking restrictions and tightened rules governing tobacco advertising and promotion.

If enacted, the new legislation would represent the country's most ambitious tobacco-control initiative to date, combining increasingly strict restrictions on public smoking with a long-term plan to eliminate legal tobacco sales entirely by 2040.