At least 37 people have died in Istanbul, Turkey, in the past six weeks after drinking adulterated alcohol, the office of the governor of Istanbul reported.
“In Istanbul, 37 people have died in six weeks after drinking adulterated alcohol, 77 have been poisoned. Another 17 people are being treated for drinking adulterated alcohol,” the government said on social media. The police have arrested fourteen suspects who are said to have brought the alcohol onto the market.
In Turkey, it is common for people to be poisoned by adulterated alcohol. Illegal production increased due to the explosion of taxes on alcoholic beverages.
Raki, the national drink, costs around 1,300 Turkish lire (33 pounds) per litre in the supermarket. The minimum wage in the country is a maximum of 17,000 lira (490 pounds).
