ANKARA, Turkey - Turkish parliament has approved a law today extending a smoking ban in this tobacco-growing country to all bars, restaurants and coffeehouses by mid-2009.
The new law -- backed by the Islamic-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan --will prohibit smoking in all enclosed public areas next year.
Turkey already bans smoking on buses, airplanes and large offices, and within four months, it will be prohibited on taxis, ferries, trains and some open-air locations.
Under the new law -- that must now be approved by the president -- owners of cafes, restaurants and bars would be fined up to $4,300 if they allow customers to light up.
Erdogan's party says some 160,000 people die annually in Turkey from smoking-related ailments and 40 per cent of Turks over the age of 15 are smokers..
Turkey is among the world's main tobacco growers along with China, India, the United States and Brazil, and one of the top exporters.
