19 people died from fake alcohol in Istanbul in 24 hours

Nineteen people who drank tainted alcohol in Istanbul have died in the past 48 hours, with dozens more being treated for poisoning, the Anadolu news agency reported Wednesday.

The figure updated a number given late Tuesday when Anadolu said 11 people had died in 24 hours. It said another 43 people were being treated in hospital.

In a statement late Tuesday, the Istanbul governorate said 110 people fell ill after drinking tainted alcohol in 2024, of which 48 had died.

According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, 38 individuals, including 26 foreign nationals, sought medical treatment at various hospitals across the city due to health issues related to counterfeit alcohol consumption. The agency reported that 11 of them have died.

The NTV broadcaster reported that authorities discovered two individuals of Turkmen nationality allegedly involved in selling counterfeit alcohol at their workplace in the Basaksehir district. Both individuals were arrested and taken into custody.

During the raid, authorities seized approximately 50 liters of counterfeit alcohol, 36 drug pills, five pieces of narcotic substances, a precision scale, opium resin, counterfeit migrant identity cards, and a large quantity of medical drugs.

The suspects are being investigated on charges of "causing death by negligence," "drug trafficking," "producing and selling counterfeit alcohol," possessing "unidentified medical drugs," "human trafficking," and "forgery of official documents," according to the report. 

Alcohol tainted with methanol is thought to be the cause, methanol being a toxic substance that can be added to liquor to increase its potency but which can cause blindness, liver damage and death.

Local authorities in Istanbul have closed 63 businesses selling counterfeit alcohol, İstanbul governor has said.

"A total of 63 companies selling fake alcohol had their licenses revoked and shut down. We are identifying all those who sell bootleg or counterfeit alcohol and bring them to justice. Please take notice, death toll is rising,” Governor Davut Gül said in a social media post.

Counterfeit alcohol-related deaths have been a recurring issue in Türkiye, especially around the New Year, with a significant number of poisoning cases and fatalities reported.

The most commonly faked product is rakı, Türkiye's aniseed-flavoured national liquor.

The local authorities are working to combat the consumption of bootleg and counterfeit alcohol, with police recently apprehending two individuals involved in producing fake alcohol.