23.01.2026 13:30
Prof. Dr. Toker Ergüder, a member of the Presidential Health Policies Board, stated that the cheapest cigarettes in OECD countries and across Europe are sold in Turkey, saying, "Cigarette prices are equivalent to the price of 5 liters of gasoline worldwide. With this logic, a pack of cigarettes in Turkey should cost at least 300 lira."
Member of the Presidential Health Policies Board, Prof. Dr. Toker Ergüder evaluated the effects of cigarette addiction on the economy in Turkey. Ergüder stated that according to a study conducted by Yeşilay, the annual cost of smoking to the Turkish economy is approximately 24 billion dollars.
Stating that this figure only covers direct costs, Ergüder said, "When indirect costs, unemployment costs, and disease expenditures are added, this amount can increase even further. We cannot accurately calculate how much we spend on smoking-related diseases and how much medication is imported from abroad," he expressed.
"A 10% PRICE INCREASE REDUCED CONSUMPTION BY 8%"
Pointing out that the increase in cigarette prices directly affects consumption, Ergüder said that a 10% increase in prices reduced consumption by approximately 8%. Emphasizing that the most effective institution in the fight against smoking in Turkey is the Ministry of Finance, Ergüder reminded that the tax and price policies implemented between 2008 and 2012 yielded concrete results.
"THE CHEAPEST CIGARETTES IN OECD AND EUROPE ARE IN TURKEY"
Speaking to Türkiye Gazetesi, Ergüder stated that when looking at the current situation, the cheapest cigarettes are sold in Turkey among OECD countries and Europe. He noted that this is one of the most important reasons why smoking rates cannot be reduced, and he said that the price policy needs to be effectively re-evaluated.
"A PACK OF CIGARETTES SHOULD COST 300 TL"
Emphasizing that cigarette prices should be evaluated by international standards, Ergüder gave an example from England. Reminding that a pack of cigarettes in England costs approximately 15 pounds (880 TL) and a pide costs 7 pounds (411 TL), Ergüder stated that the exact opposite is happening in Turkey.
Stating that "three packs of cigarettes can be bought for the price of one pide" in Turkey, Ergüder expressed that multinational companies are pressuring against price increases by saying 'inflation and smuggling will increase.'
Ergüder said, "But we examined the relationship between cigarette prices and inflation in Turkey with expert colleagues at the Ministry of Finance between 2002 and 2019, and we found nothing. Cigarette prices are equivalent to the price of 5 liters of gasoline in the world. With this logic, a pack of cigarettes in Turkey should cost at least 300 lira," he expressed.