23 people have died in Istanbul in the last 48 hours due to poisoning from the consumption of homemade alcohol, the Turkish authorities announced on Wednesday, CBS reported.
At least 43 people have been hospitalized, of which 32 are in intensive care, Turkish officials said. Since the beginning of the new year, a total of 34 people have died as a result of consuming alcoholic beverages of dubious origin. Alcohol contaminated with methanol is suspected to be the cause of the poisoning.
Methanol is a substance that is often added to alcohol to increase its strength. According to research on illegally produced alcohol in southern Turkey, methanol is used instead of ethanol because it is cheaper, but it can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
The Turkish Ministry of Health has not yet made an official statement regarding these cases.
Poisoning caused by home-brewed alcohol consumption is a common occurrence in Turkey, where private alcohol production has skyrocketed due to ever-increasing taxes on alcoholic beverages.
During 2024, 110 people fell ill in Istanbul after consuming alcohol of questionable origin, of which 48 died, government officials said.
The most common home-brewed alcoholic drink in Turkey is anise liqueur or brandy, the price of which has risen to around 1,300 lira ($37.20) per liter in supermarkets. As of January 1, the minimum wage in Turkey has increased to 22,104 liras ($600).
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been in power since 2014 and was previously prime minister, played a key role in the changes to Turkey’s alcohol laws.
Since 2013, Turkey has banned the advertising of alcohol, the sponsorship of events by alcohol brands and the showing of scenes of alcohol consumption in the media.
(TYPE/Source: Fena/Photo: Illustration)
