Armed men storm Raki festival in alcohol protest

Armed men have stormed a Turkish festival dedicated to traditional spirit drink Raki in protest against alcohol consumption.

A festival dedicated to Turkey’s national spirit Raki was stormed by an armed gang at the weekend

The group of four men reportedly open fired at the annual festival in the southern province of Adana on Saturday (12 December), shouting anti-alcohol slogans, reports Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News.

Police offers later arrested the men, who also wielded sticks and donor kebab knives. No reports state that any members of the public were injured.

The annual World Raki Festival is a contentious event in Turkey due to the country’s large teetotal Muslim population. As such, the event recently changed its name to the Adana Kebab and Turnip Festival.

Reports claimed that after the men were detained, the festival continued as planned.