Tekel
Tekel A.Ş. (Turkish, literally single-hand or monopoly and generally capitalised as TEKEL) was a Turkish tobacco and alcoholic beverages company. It was nationalised in 1925 from a parastatal (government owned/controlled) company, the Régie. A joint foreign and Ottoman consortium, the Régie was short for "La Société de la régie co-intéressée des tabacs de l'Empire Ottoman".
Former Tekel Building in Ankara, currently the seat of Yunus Emre Institute | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tobacco |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Fate | Acquired by British American Tobacco in 2008, becoming a brand; factories closed in 2009 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Maliye Bakani (general director) |
| Products | Cigarettes |
| Revenue | $3.6 billion USD (2004) |
| $2.4 billion USD (2004) | |
Number of employees | 10,000 |
| Parent | British American Tobacco |
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.
In 2008 it was sold to British American Tobacco and discontinued as a trademark in cigarettes, wines, liquors or other products, although some of its brand names are still used without the word "Tekel" preceding them; like the Buzbağ wine.