Booze Draws Boos From Lawmakers
A seasonal gift of a bottle of whiskey to each member of Turkey’s parliament met with less than universal approval, with some Islamist deputies pouring theirs down the toilet, a newspaper said.
Turkey’s privatization minister presented each member with a bottle of the liquor made by state monopoly Tekel, which is to be privatized, as a New Year’s gift.
“The toilets in parliament smell of whiskey,” the daily Sabah reported.
Turkey is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, but its constitution is strictly secular. Islamic law forbids the drinking of alcohol.
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