Over 100 are now the victims of fake alcohol poisoning in Turkey in less than a month, local media report, quoted by BTA.
The cases are from the two largest Turkish cities - Istanbul and Ankara. A large part of the media defines what has been happening in recent days as a "real nightmare".
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul announced today that in just three weeks, a total of 70 people in the metropolis have died after consuming fake alcoholic beverages, CNN-Turk television reported. Between January 14 and February 6, 70 people died in Istanbul from consuming counterfeit alcohol, and 150 were hospitalized, Gul said.
As part of the fight against the production of counterfeit alcohol, 190 people were caught, 11 of whom were placed under permanent arrest. 86,274 liters of counterfeit alcohol were seized, the Istanbul governor said.
Earlier today, Ankara governor Vasip Sahin announced that a total of 33 people had died as a result of consuming counterfeit alcohol in Ankara, and 20 people were in intensive care units in hospitals in the Turkish capital.
The consumption of counterfeit alcohol is an extremely serious social problem in Turkey, where alcohol is expensive due to high excise taxes. Every year, dozens of citizens die from poisoning with such alcoholic beverages. Alcohol prices have been increased significantly in recent months.