Turkey passes sweeping land‑use, forest and alcohol law reforms

Turkey’s parliament approved a comprehensive reform package titled the “Toprak Koruma ve Arazi Kullanımı Kanunu ile Bazı Kanunlarda Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Kanun,” which was published in the Official Gazette. The law introduces new distance rules for rice‑field planting (minimum 500 m from town centres, 50 m in villages), bans the issuance of electricity, water and natural‑gas connections to illegal structures on agricultural land, and imposes a 100 000 TL fine per unauthorized subscription. It also establishes “carbon‑sink forests” to enhance greenhouse‑gas sequestration, extends the licensing period for DSİ projects to 31 Dec 2040, and tightens penalties for hydro‑electric plants (up to 5 million TL per plant). The package reshapes the alcohol sector by prohibiting the use of brand names, logos, and packaging visuals in stores, venues and advertising, and bans indirect sponsorship; similar restrictions and fines up to 1 million TL apply to the tobacco industry. Additional measures set sugar‑beet prices through annual producer‑factory agreements, require documentation for live‑animal transport (penalties of 7 863 TL per cattle, 1 204 TL per small ruminant), and prohibit the acquisition of agricultural land by non‑agricultural cooperatives. The reforms affect an estimated three million citizens, clarify the status of about 80 000 parcels, and introduce substantial administrative fines to enforce compliance.