Tekel

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Tekel, (Turkish, literally single-hand or monopoly) is a nationalized Turkish company in 1925 from a French company, the "Regie Compagnie interessee des tabacs de l'empire Ottoman". Tekel evolved into the sole manufacturer and distributor of all alcohol and tobacco products in Turkey. Today, Tekel is no longer a monopoly but it does control taxing and distribution of all alcohol and tobacco products in Turkey. The Turkish government has been trying to privatize the company ^[1].

1 History
2 See also
3 External links
4 References

[edit] History

Turkish tobacco was an important industrial crop, where its cultivation and manufacture were monopolies under capitulations of the Ottoman Empire. The tobacco and cigarette trade was controlled by two French companies the "Regie Compagnie interessee des tabacs de l'empire Ottoman", and "Narquileh tobacco.^[2]" These companies founded as a monopoly in 1862 by the Ottoman government for the payment of its international debt. Original purpose of the company was to deal with tobacco products. It later became a part of an even greater monopoly, REJI, which controlled all trade, finance, and manufacturing in the empire ^[3].