Foreign Office travel advice: Urgent warning as over 100 people die and 230 hospitalised in Turkey from alcohol poisoning

Since the beginning of the year, 103 people have been reported dead and another 230 hospitalised after drinking alcohol in Ankara and Istanbul. The fatal poisonings have been linked to counterfeit alcohol on sale in Turkey. As a result, the Foreign Office is warning Brits to take extra precautions when drinking on their holidays.

Some steps the government is urging travellers to take include only buying alcohol from licensed liquor stores. Only purchase alcoholic drinks from licensed bars or hotels too.

Once you have purchased your alcohol, it’s recommended that you double-check all the seals are intact. Also keep an eye out for poor quality labels, incorrect spelling or other issues on labels.

Turkey itself has issued a warning on bootleg alcohol believed to be behind the poisoning. Local governors claimed that authorities arrested 13 people in Ankara and 11 in Istanbul in connection with bootleg alcohol. According to local news outlet NTV, authorities seized 102 tons of methanol and ethanol as well as over 86,000 litres of smuggled alcohol.

Homemade or bootleg alcohol can be deadly if it contains too much methanol as the distillation process isn’t as precise as genuine alcohol production. Even small amounts of the substance can be extremely dangerous and symptoms are often delayed or mimic that of alcohol, such as feeling nauseous.

The Foreign Office warns: “In Turkey, including Ankara and Istanbul, people have died or suffered serious illness after drinking illegally produced local spirits and counterfeit bottles of branded alcohol.” The FCDO says if you or anyone you know falls ill after drinking alcohol seek urgent medical attention.