5000 fined in one day for smoking while driving

Duvar English

More than 5000 people were finedthroughout Turkey for smoking in their vehicles on Tuesday, followinginstructions from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to outlaw thepractice, according to local news reports.

According to a statement from theMinistry of Internal Affairs, upwards of 37,000 personnel were partof the operation, in which 150,000 vehicles throughout the countrywere inspected. A total of 9000 vehicles were issued fines forsmoking or separate violations, while 1866 drivers were disqualifiedfrom driving for various infractions.

Last week, Erdoğan publicly complainedabout drivers and passengers smoking in their vehicles, and vowed totake action against the practice. He also railed against electroniccigarettes and hookah (water pipe tobacco) smoking, noting that thelatter is even more harmful than cigarettes The president is famouslyknown for his strong distaste for cigarette smoking.

Earlier this year, he said that he hasnever smoked in his life, and previously stated that there is no suchthing as the freedom to smoke. He once publicly chastised a smoker incafe while attending a groundbreaking ceremony in the Istanbuldistrict of Esenler, and he has personally asked people he meets toquit smoking.

Turkey's predilection for smoking haseven led to the well-known phrase “to smoke like a Turk.” Inrecent years, heavy taxes have been added to the cost of packages ofcigarettes, though this does not seem to have been a major deterrentto the country's habit. According to reports from earlier this year,14.5 million adults and a quarter of a million children in Turkey aresmokers.