Market vendors to be fined for shouting to attract customers

In Turkish markets, police officers will now fine those who want to attract the attention of customers by shouting loudly and preventing citizens from shopping in peace. The amount of the fine is 1,295 liras (about $50). After receiving three such fines, the merchant will be banned from selling his goods for 3 weeks.

Attracting the attention of customers on the streets of cities is prohibited under Law No. 5326 and owners of boutiques, restaurants and cafes have long been familiar with this rule, as they have been fined for such violations more than once. The maximum that can be heard from them now is "Welcome" and "Hello". However, this did not apply to traditional Turkish bazaars until recently. Here, vendors would call out to tourists and locals alike, offering them "The sweetest watermelon from Diyarbakir," "The freshest strawberries from Gazipasi," and "Hayatım gibi acı biber" (peppers as bitter as my life). And now the authorities are also demanding that the market vendors follow the letter of the law and stop any rumblings.

Do you think the authorities are doing the right thing by prohibiting market vendors from calling out to customers?