At least thirty-three people have died and 48 others have been hospitalized in Istanbul since Monday after drinking adulterated alcoholic beverages, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported on Thursday evening.
A previous official death toll had been 23.
The deaths are believed to have been caused by the consumption of alcoholic beverages adulterated with methanol — a type of industrial alcohol that is unfit for drinking.
Four people suspected of selling the adulterated drinks have been arrested and a case has been filed against them for serial "intentional homicides", Istanbul authorities said in a statement last night.
Since January 1, 29 tons of adulterated or smuggled alcoholic beverages have been seized in Istanbul and 64 businesses selling them have had their operating licenses revoked, they added.
Owners of companies that sell alcoholic beverages accuse the Turkish authorities of being indirectly responsible for the deaths, due to high taxes, which they say encourage illegal liquor production.
In 2024, 48 people died due to the consumption of adulterated alcoholic beverages, according to Istanbul authorities.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a conservative politician and devout Muslim who is accused by his opponents of seeking to Islamize Turkish public administration and society, has repeatedly taken a public stance against the consumption of both alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
