Despite Turkey's reputation as a stronghold of tobacco use, the bill would prohibit smoking in restaurants, coffee houses and bars as well as in taxis and other forms of public transit.

An official with the Green Crescent told Today's Zaman in Ankara that smoking was linked to about 120,000 deaths annually in Turkey, and 30 percent of lung cancer victims contracted the disease through second-hand smoke.

The New Anatolin said Friday although a sizable percentage of Turks are regular smokers, the tobacco ban had support among all political parties in Thursday's vote.