CHP's Ali Gökçek: Alcohol is Fake, Tragedy is Real

CHP Istanbul Deputy and State Economic Enterprises Commission member Ali Gökçek drew attention to the issue by posing a parliamentary question to the Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya regarding the deaths of 48 people due to counterfeit alcohol in the last 23 hours.

CHP's Gökçek made the following statement in his statement:

“In recent months, there has been a dangerous increase in deaths caused by counterfeit alcohol across the country, especially in Istanbul. Inadequate inspections, failure to properly combat smuggling, high tax rates, and exorbitant pricing are causing methods that threaten the health of citizens to be implemented. The latest reflection of the dire situation has been seen in Istanbul, where 48 of the 66 alcohol poisoning cases in the last 23 hours have died and dozens of people have been hospitalized.”

Stating that the issue of counterfeit alcohol has become a public health problem, CHP member Gökçek asked the following questions to Minister Yerlikaya:

• What is the number of operations carried out in Istanbul and throughout the country in the last year to prevent the production and distribution of counterfeit alcoholic beverages, and how much smuggled alcohol was seized in these operations?
• What kind of activities do you plan to do to raise public awareness about counterfeit alcoholic beverages?
• How many of our citizens lost their lives due to consumption of counterfeit alcoholic beverages in the last year?
• Do you plan to take any steps regarding high taxation that drives citizens to seek cheaper alternatives?

Source: HORECA TREND and Science and Health News Agency