Is Azerbaijani wine haram?

The fatwas issued by the Diyanet (Directorate of Religious Affairs) never seem to leave the agenda…

They make such statements that sometimes it is impossible to make sense of them. Most recently, they declared that the salaries received by those who got jobs through nepotism and passed exams by cheating were "halal"!

In recent days, another statement that will be talked about a lot came this time on a live broadcast from Diyanet Affairs High Board Member İdris Bozkurt…

Bozkurt stated that those who produce, transport, present, serve, or profit from alcoholic beverages are "cursed"…

Diyanet Affairs High Board Member İdris Bozkurt, who stated that those working in places where alcohol is served benefit from the income, said that even if the wages earned are halal, there is a sin involved in the work performed, and he advised those working in the sector to find other jobs.

He somehow cursed the worker working with the sweat of their brow. However, he overlooked the state's earnings from alcohol as Special Consumption Tax.

If we look at it with this logic, we have to look with hesitation at every job done with the taxes collected by the State.

The collected taxes go into the state treasury and are used regardless of which sector they come from.

According to this approach of the High Board of Religious Affairs member, we might also be cursed while using the roads built or passing over bridges. Because these roads are built with these taxes. Public employees, bureaucrats, and even everyone who receives a salary from the state might also be cursed. Because the tax collected from alcohol may have been used in this area as well!

According to data from the General Directorate of Public Accounts under the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the special consumption tax (SCT) collected from alcohol and tobacco in 2023 increased by 69.4 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 245.6 billion TL. This figure accounts for 30 percent of total SCT revenue and 5.5 percent of total tax revenue.

Moreover, the figure we mentioned above is only the tax obtained from sales. With alcohol licenses, production, imports, and exports, alcohol is also a major source of income for the state.

But there are some exceptions, of course.

There is a law that was accepted with 273 votes in Parliament last week following a proposal from the government. The law was also approved by President Erdoğan and has entered into force.

The agreement signed between Turkey and Azerbaijan was accepted as law. According to the agreement, which will be valid for 10 years, Turkey will purchase wine, mulberries, quinces, iron and steel products, and packaging materials from Azerbaijan with zero customs duty.

Now, one must ask the Diyanet: Is the wine coming from Azerbaijan, which will even be exempt from tax by the state, a sin or not?

Or will the Diyanet curse this law as well?