The death toll, which increased from 11 on Tuesday, coincides with a report from the İstanbul Governor’s Office revealing that 110 individuals were poisoned by adulterated alcohol in 2024, resulting in 48 fatalities.
Read more: Controversial Remarks: ‘God Didn’t Ban Alcohol’
Methanol, a hazardous substance commonly added to illegal alcohol to enhance its potency, is suspected to be the cause of the deaths. Poisoning from methanol can lead to severe health issues such as blindness, liver damage, and even death.
Alcohol-related poisonings have become a recurring issue in Turkey, where the rise of illicit alcohol production has been fueled by steep taxes on legal alcoholic beverages. Raki, the nation’s traditional liquor, is the most commonly counterfeited drink, with supermarket prices now reaching around 1,300 Turkish lira ($37) per liter.
Critics argue that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government is exacerbating the crisis by imposing high taxes and discouraging alcohol consumption as part of a broader initiative to Islamize Turkish society. With the minimum wage set at 17,000 lira ($480) per month, many Turks are resorting to cheaper, illegal options, putting their lives at risk.