Turkey is NOT an EU member country, the maximum number of cigarettes you can bring back is 1 wrap [200]
customs should offer you the choice of paying the UK duty [although they dont always]on them all or confiscating the lot

sorry

wizard

I'm not really sure why you think I makes any difference that he bought them in Turkey

Duty is about denying the UK Exchequer so if you exceed the 200 allowance either by buying in a Turkish Shop or at an Airport it would still be deemed as smuggling.

Did he offer to pay the duty to the Customs Officer that caught him ? I assume he went through the 'nothing to declare' rather than the 'goods to declare' bit ? He would have been better off going through the later and offering to pay the duty then he should have been OK, that would probably be the best thing to do next time.

Doe

If the shop keeper knew you were British he could have informed you that each person is only allowed 200,but they dont because they want you to buy as many as possible.
You were very lucky you were not fined.

Further to Jay Trip's post - they won't even tell you at Duty Free at Bodrum airport that you are only allowed 200 into the UK. Did you not know the allowance?