Armed men storm raki festival in Turkey

Four men have been arrested after storming a festival in Turkey dedicated to the country’s traditional spirit, firing guns and shouting anti-alcohol slogans.

Raki is an anise-flavored alcoholic drink popular in Turkey, Greece and Balkan countries. It’s typically served as an apéritif.

A video was posted by the English-speaking The Hürriyet newspaper apparently shows the men moving through a crowded bazaar in the southern Turkish city of Adana hitting tables with knives, typically used to carve up kebabs, firing shots into the air and shouting anti-alcohol slogans.

Raki is an anise-flavoured spirit typically mixed with chilled water and served as an apéritif. Popular raki brands in Turkey include Yeni Raki and Tekirdağ.

The event, which is now in its sixth year, had previously been called the “World Raki Festival”. However its name was changed this year following pressure from anti-alcohol groups who disagreed with its premise. This year, the festival was named the “Adana Kebab and Turnip Festival”. 

While alcohol is not banned in Turkey, and the country is constitutionally secular, the vast majority of its population is Muslim – a religion which prohibits alcohol consumption.

The Turkish government, under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) – a social conservative party developed from the tradition of Islamism – banned alcohol advertising in 2013 and has tightened regulations on its sale in recent years. While the consumption of raki has long been an important part of Turkish food culture, today 83% of adult Turks are teetotal, with the population consuming just 1.5 litres of alcohol per head each year. the lowest in Europe.

All four men were arrested and the festivities were reported to have continued.