Here are some instances of bootleg alcohol-related deaths in Turkey in 2025:
Istanbul (January 2025): At least 30 people died in Istanbul over a three-day period after consuming bootleg alcohol, with dozens more hospitalized. This was part of a broader crisis where high taxes on legal alcohol led to increased consumption of counterfeit drinks1.
Istanbul (January 2025): In a separate incident, 19 deaths were reported over a 72-hour period due to bootleg alcohol consumption. Authorities responded by shutting down establishments selling counterfeit alcohol34.
Ankara and Istanbul (January-February 2025): At least 124 people died in these cities over six weeks after drinking bootleg alcohol. In Ankara, 54 deaths were reported, with 40 more in intensive care2.
Nationwide (2025): By February 2025, the death toll from bootleg alcohol had risen to 152 across Turkey, according to the Ministry of Interior. Authorities conducted extensive crackdowns, seizing large quantities of counterfeit alcohol and detaining numerous suspects5.
Nationwide (2025): As of early March 2025, more than 160 people had died from poisoning after consuming bootleg alcohol. The government had seized significant amounts of illegal alcohol and arrested hundreds of suspects8.
Citations:
- https://www.newsweek.com/istanbul-bootleg-alcohol-kills-30-turkey-2016144
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bootleg-alcohol-kills-124-turkey-6-weeks/
- https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/istanbul/19-dead-in-72-hours-prompt-istanbul-to-clamp-down-on-bootleg-alcohol
- https://themedialine.org/mideast-daily-news/istanbul-cracks-down-after-bootleg-alcohol-claims-19-lives/
- https://www.turkiyetoday.com/turkiye/152-people-die-in-turkiye-from-bootleg-alcohol-in-2025-ministry-reveals-124593/
- https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/02/british-tourists-warned-about-fake-alcohol-in-turkiye/
- https://www.itij.com/latest/news/turkey-issues-illegal-alcohol-warning-after-103-deaths-january
- https://www.dw.com/en/why-having-a-drink-in-turkey-can-mean-life-or-death/a-71861523
- https://efe.com/en/latest-news/2025-02-07/bootleg-alcohol/
- https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/66-bootleg-alcohol-poisonings-30-deaths-reported-in-istanbul/news
- https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/news-from-turkey/fake-booze-crime-and-price-hikes-is-turkey-still-worth-visiting/
- https://www.tourism-review.com/turkish-tourism-faces-problems-with-fake-alcohol-news14813
- https://turkishminute.com/2025/01/16/death-toll-from-bootleg-alcohol-in-istanbul-reaches-30-in-3-days3/
- https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2025/02/07/more-than-100-have-died-from-bootleg-alcohol-in-turkey-in-recent-weeks-ntv-says
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Istanbul_alcohol_poisonings
- https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/02/26/death-toll-in-turkey-from-bootleg-alcohol-rises-to-152-3/
- https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/01/16/death-toll-from-bootleg-alcohol-in-istanbul-reaches-30-in-3-days3/
- https://apnews.com/article/istanbul-bootleg-alcohol-deaths-turkey-counterfeit-inflation-67abd8c8aa4c648df54872b38662e366
- https://www.turkeyrecap.com/p/spike-in-deaths-unlikely-to-curb
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/more-than-100-have-died-bootleg-alcohol-turkey-recent-weeks-ntv-says-2025-02-07/
- https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-01-16/bootleg-alcohol-claims-lives-of-at-least-30-people-in-istanbul-while-dozens-are-hospitalized
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
Discover more from Erkan's Field Diary
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.