Thirty-three people have died since Monday in Istanbul while 48 others have been hospitalized after drinking adulterated alcohol, the Turkish state agency Anadolu reported on Thursday evening, January 16. The presence of methanol, an industrial alcohol different from ethanol – or ethyl alcohol – used in drinks containing alcohol, could be the cause of the deaths.
Four people suspected of having sold adulterated alcohol were arrested for “intentional homicide”, the governorate of Istanbul said in a press release on Thursday evening.
Since 1is January, 29 tons of counterfeit alcohol were seized in Istanbul and 64 companies that sold counterfeit or contraband alcohol had their licenses revoked, the governorate added.
High taxes on alcohol
Owners of specialized stores accuse the government of being indirectly responsible for this wave of intoxication due to the high taxes applied to alcohol, which, according to them, encourage clandestine production.
Forty-eight people have already died in 2024 in Istanbul due to adulterated alcohol poisoning, according to the governorate.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a pious Muslim accused by his opponents of wanting to Islamize society, has several times taken a stance against the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
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