Two steps forward, one step back: the lead up to tobacco plain packaging policy in Turkey.

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Health Promotion International following peer review. The version of record- Melis Selamoğlu, Sally Fawkes, Ayşe Emel Önal, Deborah Gleeson, Two steps forward, one step back: the lead up to tobacco plain packaging policy in Turkey, Health Promotion International, 2021, daab033, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab033 - is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/heapro/advance-article/doi/10.1093/heapro/daab033/6174541 The Turkish government first announced its intention to proceed with tobacco plain packaging legislation in 2011; however, it was 7 years before the legislation passed in December 2018. This study (conducted in 2018 before the legislation was passed) explored the policy context in Turkey between the first announcement that plain packaging legislation would be introduced and the passage of the legislation in 2018, and identified barriers and facilitators influencing its introduction. Publicly available documents relevant to plain packaging in Turkey were analysed. Interviews were conducted in 2018 with ten key informants including academics, bureaucrats in government ministries and leaders of non-government organizations (NGOs). Thematic analysis was undertaken, using a framework for systematically analysing how issues reach the policy agenda. The introduction of plain packaging legislation proved to be problematic, with many false starts and delays. Findings suggest these were mainly due to political barriers including changes in government, tobacco industry opposition and the national economic crisis. However, plain packaging legislation in Turkey managed to advance on the policy agenda, primarily through the collaborative advocacy efforts of NGOs, academics, and leadership from particular tobacco control advocates and politicians. Turkey's experience provides lessons for the wider uptake of tobacco plain packaging legislation, illustrating the critical importance of building effective coalitions ...