Proposed Beer Ban Helps Fuel Turkish Protests

Muslim PM not fond of those who drink alcohol

In his Istanbul liquor store, shopkeeper Menderes Yildirim is worried—not so much about the recent nights of riots and tear gas, but about the stacks of beer in his fridge.

Like the protesters themselves, he is furious at one of the government reforms that threatens to put him out of business by banning him from selling alcohol at night.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a practising Muslim, further enraged protesters at the weekend when he branded people who drink "alcoholics".

(Hat tip to Keep Food Legal)