Turkey Banned Imports of E-Cigarettes and Related Products on Feb. 25

On Feb. 27, according to foreign media reports, Turkey began banning imports of e-cigarettes and related products on Feb. 25.

The ban covers e-cigarettes, accessories, spare parts, and solutions, as well as e-cigarette products that use heating or combustion, such as electronic shisha cartridges.

The country had already banned the sale of e-cigarettes.

In 2019, authorities seized 17.6 million packs of illegal cigarettes and 140,000 e-cigarettes at the country’s borders.

Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said, "We will not provide a passage for the illegal trafficking of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. I hope that through this serious measure, we can better protect the health of our citizens and further benefit our country."

According to the Tobacco Atlas, around 14.5 million adults and 252,000 children smoke every day in Turkey, and about 83,100 people die from tobacco-related diseases.