At least 124 people died in Ankara and Istanbul in the past six weeks after Drinking bootleg alcohoL, and dozens of others are in intensive care, the Anadolu state news agency said on Monday.
Some 54 people died in the capital Ankara, where 40 others fought for their life in the hospital, he said.
Earlier this month, Anadolu said that 70 others died in Istanbul.
Such poisonings are relatively Common in TürkiyeWhere clandestine production is widespread and alcohol against smuggling is often marred by methanol, a toxic substance that can cause blindness, hepatic lesions and death.
Methanol is often used in products produced illegally instead of ethanol because it is cheaper, according to a study that has examined Alcohol produced illegally in southern TurkeyAnd this can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
Kemal Aslan / AFP via Getty Images
The Ankara -chief prosecutor’s office arrested 28 suspects in the production and sale of counterfeit alcohol, all except three were granted later, said Anadolu.
On February 7, the Governor of Ankara had given a balance sheet of 33 dead and 20 others in intensive care, with a spokesperson for his office saying that the figure was “since the start of the year”.
Last month, 38 people died in the space of four days in Istanbul after drinking counterfeit alcohol in an increase in cases which, by January 17, had left 26 other people in intensive care.
There were no official updates for three other weeks until February 7, when Anadolu said that the number of deaths had jumped at 70, with 21 other treated in the hospital, including eight in intensive care .
Since then, there have been no other updates on their fate.
Although Turkey is a nominally secular country, Alcohol taxes have increased Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Muslim who opposes consumption.
A liter bottle of raki, national alcohol with aniseed flavor of Turkey, bought in a supermarket currently costs around 1,300 LIRA ($ 37.20) in a country where the minimum wage has recently reached $ 600 per month.
Critics say so high prices fuel the production of Monshine.
“Counterfeit products are often cheaper than real brands, which makes it more attractive for consumers who seek to save money or even tourist businesses who try to reduce costs,” according to a USDA report 2015 on alcohol legislation and taxes in Türkiye.