Nineteen people have died and 43 others have been hospitalized in Istanbul within 48 hours after consuming tainted alcohol, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
Some liquor store owners have blamed the government for the surge in deaths, arguing that high taxes on legal alcohol drive the production and consumption of illicit alternatives © Mena Today
Nineteen people have died and 43 others have been hospitalized in Istanbul within 48 hours after consuming tainted alcohol, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
An earlier report indicated 11 deaths within 24 hours in Turkey's largest city. Last year, 48 people died in Istanbul due to alcohol poisoning, according to the city's governorate. Methanol, an industrial alcohol distinct from the ethanol used in alcoholic beverages, is suspected to be the cause of these fatalities.
In response to the latest tragedy, the Governor of Istanbul announced Tuesday evening that the licenses of 63 businesses selling counterfeit alcohol had been revoked. This action aims to curb the distribution of illegally produced and dangerous alcoholic products.
However, some liquor store owners have blamed the government for the surge in deaths, arguing that high taxes on legal alcohol drive the production and consumption of illicit alternatives.
Following Saudi Arabia, Turkey has strongly condemned the visit of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the visit of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, calling it a provocation and denouncing what it referred to as “Israeli aggression” against the holy site.
Israel is reeling from a growing political scandal dubbed "Qatargate", involving close advisers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of accepting funds from Qatar — a nation that plays a dual role as mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict and host to Hamas leadership.
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