Addicts of the traditional type believe that Turkish coffee is a dying blend and refuse any watering down of the original.

Having introduced the rest of Europe to the drink, the disgruntled Turks say they cannot even find their national treasure at home.

The 10,000 members of the Association to Support Contemporary Life are urging the rest of the Turkish nation to join the boycott.

Abdullah Kehale, a spokesman for the organisation, condemned the mushrooming of the cafes and restaurants which sell the diluted, milky brew.

Mourning a national treasure

He said: "They are on the way to destroying our grand old tradition. It doesn't make sense. You wouldn't expect a restaurant in Italy not to serve cappuccino."

Coffee comes from the Arabic "qahwa" and was introduced in the Ottoman Empire

The group, which has previously supported modern, secular education is fighting an uphill struggle as male-only coffee houses are also fading out.

Haluk Sahin, a columnist for the daily Radikal, said: "Apart from Turkish delight and Turkish baths, coffee is one of the only things in the world known by the accolade 'Turkish'. But now it is becoming unfindable in Turkey."