The death of 33 people from counterfeit alcohol prompted action from the Istanbul Governorship.

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The number of people who died from counterfeit alcohol in Istanbul has risen to 33 in 96 hours. Following the consecutive death reports, the Istanbul Governorship has taken new measures.

CAMERAS WILL BE INSTALLED

In a written statement, it was announced that in order to prevent the sale and use of counterfeit and illegal alcohol, a camera system capable of recording in high resolution 24/7, which can cover the entire establishment, will be installed in businesses selling alcohol, starting from January 1, 2025, as per the governorship's circular dated October 10, 2024. Additionally, it is mandatory to keep the recordings for 30 days.

LICENSES ARE BEING CANCELLED

Furthermore, with the governorship's circular dated January 10, 2025; businesses that sell illegal or counterfeit alcohol and cause death as a result, those identified through inspections as selling illegal or counterfeit alcohol, and those without a sales and presentation certificate issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Tobacco and Alcohol Department, except for exceptions in special laws, will have their business opening and operating licenses cancelled by the relevant municipalities, based on the opinion of the Provincial Administrative Authority regarding general security and public order, in addition to the administrative actions to be taken as per the legislation, for businesses that present and sell alcohol openly outside the areas determined by the relevant municipal council.

INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO DISTRICT GOVERNORS

In addition to these circulars, it was instructed in writing to the District Governorships to establish inspection teams consisting of representatives from the Provincial Directorate of Trade, District Police Department, District Gendarmerie Command, District Municipality, District Health Directorate, and District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and to ensure that these teams conduct uninterrupted inspections on a 24-hour basis.

4 PEOPLE ARRESTED

In ongoing operations related to the use and sale of counterfeit and illegal alcohol; 15 suspects identified as having distributed a large amount of counterfeit alcohol to the market were detained, while 4 of them were arrested by the court for the crime of "Intentional Homicide." The procedures for 8 suspects are ongoing, while 3 individuals were released.

29 TONS OF COUNTERFEIT ALCOHOL SEIZED

Since January 1, 29 tons of counterfeit alcohol have been seized in operations conducted. The business licenses of 64 establishments identified as selling counterfeit or illegal alcohol have been revoked and closed. The judicial process initiated against the business officials is ongoing. In operations conducted in 2024, a total of 302 tons of counterfeit alcohol had been seized.