Twenty-three people in Istanbul died within 48 hours after consuming tainted alcohol, authorities said Wednesday.
At least 43 others were hospitalized – 32 of them in intensive care, Turkish officials said. Since the beginning of the new year, according to them, a total of 34 people have died from the effects of smuggled alcohol. It is believed that the cause of the appearance is alcohol with methanol.
Methanol is a substance that is often added to alcohol to increase its strength. It's often used in bootleg products instead of ethanol because it's cheaper, according to a study that looked at illegally produced alcohol in southern Turkeyand it can cause blindness, liver damage, and death.
There was no comment from the Turkish Ministry of Health.
There are quite a few cases of adulterated alcohol poisoning common in Turkeywhere private production increased when the authorities raised taxes on alcoholic beverages.
In 2024, 110 people fell ill after consuming tainted alcohol in Istanbul, of which 48 died, according to government officials.
Most often, Turkish national raki liquor with anise flavor is counterfeited. The price in supermarkets jumped to about 1,300 lira ($37.20) per liter. Turkey on January 1 increased the minimum wage in the country to 22,104 liras ($600).
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was elected in 2014 and previously served as prime minister of the country's ruling party, has played an important role in amendments to Turkish alcohol legislation. Since 2013, Turkey has banned advertising promoting alcohol, banning alcohol brands from sponsoring events, and banning scenes involving alcohol in the media.