Standing in front of the pub in Besiktas where he works, on the European side, Suleyman Gunes, 32, tries to attract customers when evening falls.

"Before, at this time, we were 80, 90% full compared to 30 to 40% today," he told AFP.

"Customers turn their backs as soon as they see the prices on the card."

Earlier this year, the Turkish government announced a 47.4% hike in alcohol and tobacco taxes, hitting bars and restaurants already affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

And pushing individuals to produce their own alcohol.

Bartenders tell AFP about the new habits of customers, who sometimes share a bottle of beer, while others stay several hours at the bar with a single glass of wine.

"At this rate, we will soon have to impose restrictions," said one of them.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a pious Muslim whose conservative AKP party has been in power since 2002, is accused of wanting to Islamize society by attacking alcohol and tobacco.

A restaurant employee in a usually lively district of Istanbul, February 10, 2022 in Turkey Bulent KILIC AFP

In 2013, his government had already limited the hours of alcohol sales and in May 2021, sales were banned during the 17 days of confinement.

He himself has often encouraged the Turks to consume "ayran", a yoghurt-based drink, instead of raki, the national anisette.

"punishment"

The 70 cl bottle of raki is now worth 249 Turkish liras (16 euros) against 175 before.

Over the past year, consumer prices as a whole have soared by nearly 50%, eroding the purchasing power of Turks despite salary increases of 30 to 50% for most of the country's employees. .

With the latest increases on alcohol, many specialty shops, the "tekel", fear having to close.

Customers at the terrace of a restaurant, February 10, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey Bulent KILIC AFP

"Alcohol was already expensive, but this new rebound has added fuel to the fire," laments Cihan Ince, owner of a tekel in Istanbul.

Ozgur Aybas, boss and founder of wholesaler Turkey's Tekel Stores Platform, believes that "the price increase has acted as a slap in the face from a small minority to a majority of cheerful people, those in the catering industry and the laity".

"It's an ideological approach, a punishment through taxes and a sanction that means + live like us +", he adds.

apprentice chemists

Seref Binay, who runs a tekel on the Asian side of Istanbul, says half of his customers now produce alcohol at home and "turn into apprentice chemists".

In the trendy district of Beyoglu, Serdar Bayar, in his tekel, warns of a surge in adulterated alcohol thanks to rising prices.

"Look on YouTube, you will see the number of videos explaining how to make homemade alcohol. But it's tricky: confuse methanol and ethanol and you lose your sight".

Customers of a restaurant drink raki on the port of Karakoy, on February 10, 2022 in Turkey Bulent KILIC AFP

On Monday, Istanbul police seized more than a thousand bottles of adulterated alcohol during a raid.

Estimated amount: one million pounds (65,000 euros).

Four people were arrested.

According to Turkish media, 84 people died from adulterated alcohol in December alone in Turkey, before the latest price hike.

On YouTube, seated at a table in front of a huge salad bowl of green grapes, "Vedat3858 Bilgin" explains to his more than 1,300 subscribers how to make raki.

"It's much cheaper. I have my recipes, with my own dosages. Five liters of raki cost 100 pounds (12 euros)," he told AFP on the phone, refusing to reveal his real name. .

"There's no risk as long as you follow the rules. Besides, when I taste raki in a tekel now, I really feel like I'm poisoning myself."

"cropped freedoms"

The stalls try to counterattack by being creative to stimulate their sales, with promotions via their Instagram account or by bringing music groups on site.

At 20, Batu explains that "having a drink in a bar is now like a dream for us. We are cutting back on our freedoms and we don't react...", says this client of a tekel.

A man waits for a customer in an empty restaurant in Istanbul on February 9, 2022 in Turkey Bulent KILIC AFP

In Besiktas, Suleyman Gunes, the waiter, is pessimistic: for him, taxes on alcohol "will end up having the skin of the sector".

"As I see it, cases are going to close one after the other."

© 2022 AFP