Turkey wants to introduce cigarette sales by ID card
The Turkish authorities plan to require buyers to present an ID card when purchasing cigarettes.
The corresponding bill is set to be submitted to parliament in the next few weeks, the country's Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said.
"Cigarettes will be sold upon presentation of an ID card. There will be a requirement to provide an identification number," the minister said.
According to Memişoğlu, the bill provides for the introduction of new rules for the sale of tobacco products. The document is scheduled to be presented to parliament within a few weeks.
According to the minister, around 160 billion cigarettes were sold in Turkey last year, which corresponds to approximately 8 billion packs. He estimated the market's annual turnover at $20–30 billion.
