Turkey nargileh culture under threat

Just like the centuries-old coffee tradition, the nargileh, or water pipe, is a mainstay of Turkish culture but authorities are clamping down on this ancient social ritual that health experts say is as harmful to health as smoking regular cigarettes.

Fans of the water pipe, also known as a hookah or shisha, can no longer get their fix in cafes, bars, and restaurants after a law banning smoking from closed public spaces came into force in January.

This new measure is a sign that the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) means business in its crackdown on smoking in a country where almost a third of adults puff away.

In 2009, authorities banned smoking in public places and slapped taxes on both alcohol and tobacco products. The tax imposed on cigarettes rose by a staggering 195 percent between 2005 and 2011. The result: a 15-percent drop in cigarette sales.

Smoking a shisha can cause the same kinds of diseases as cigarettes, the US centre found, including oral and lung cancers, and decrease fertility.

But for the moment the threat appears to remain fairly limited: the GATS study found that just 2.3 percent of Turkey's smokers used water pipes.

Tombeki cafe regular Nuri Aydin says he has no intention of giving up the pipe. "I come here three or four times a week. It is a passion," says the 24-year-old.

"I saw my father and grandfather smoking and I am keeping up the tradition. They should let us do it!"