Tourists heading to Turkey have been warned to be careful when heading out for a drink after 100 people have died in just a few weeks after being sold illegal drinks
Brits fleeing the UK’s winter chill for Turkey have been cautioned to be vigilant when heading out to local bars and restaurants for a tipple.
Over 100 individuals have lost their lives after consuming counterfeit alcohol since the New Year, as reported by NTV news station, having been sold illicit drinks masquerading as well-known brands. Since January 14, 70 people have reportedly died in Istanbul from illegal alcohol poisoning, while the death toll stands at 33 in the capital city of Ankara since January 1. An additional 230 were hospitalised, with 40 in a critical state, according to the outlet.
Turkey’s Islamist-rooted government has levied hefty taxes on alcohol sales in recent years, with the AK Party, in power since 2002, increasing duties on both alcohol and tobacco products on January 3. Despite authorities’ promises to clamp down on the distribution of bootlegged booze across the nation, the string of deaths indicates that cheaper, homemade spirits are being peddled to tourists and locals alike.
Government measures to combat the issue include confiscating tens of thousands of litres of the illegal alcohol, conducting regular checks of licensed establishments and installing cameras at licensed shops.
They have also reportedly arrested 11 individuals and seized over 86,000 litres of bootlegged alcohol in Istanbul, and detained 13 alongside 102 tons of methanol and ethanol in Ankara following the poisonings.
Over the past ten years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has introduced a slew of regulations curtailing the nation’s booze habits, including prohibiting alcohol brands from sponsoring events and clamping down on advertising and media portrayal of alcoholic beverages.
This regulatory tightening follows the dreadful incident where six people, among them British backpacker and lawyer Simone White, aged 28, lost their lives to suspected methanol poisoning after consuming dodgy vodka in Laos last year, reports the Express.
Methanol, commonly used as a cheap substitute for ethanol in illicit liquor, can lead to blindness, liver damage, or even death. Back in Turkey, the beloved national spirit raki has become the go-to for bootleggers due to its soaring price – now hitting roughly 1,300 lira (£28.93) per litre in supermarkets, as reported by Rudaw.
“Because alcohol prices are very high, people can’t afford to drink anymore. I mean, you can’t tell people not to drink, but they are forced to drink anyway. What do they do in this situation?” lamented Soner Arkan, an Istanbul liquor store proprietor, in his chat with the news outlet. “When prices are very high, people drink wherever they find cheap alcohol,” he remarked, highlighting the dire choices facing consumers.
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