Istanbul, Dec 16 Since the beginning of November, 37 people have died from poisoning due to consuming counterfeit alcohol in Turkey's Istanbul, the Istanbul Governor's Office said in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, 73 individuals have been poisoned by counterfeit alcohol during this period, while 17 individuals are still receiving treatment in hospitals.
"In the investigations related to alcohol poisoning incidents, proceedings have been initiated against 36 suspects who provided counterfeit alcohol," the office noted, adding that 14 of them have been arrested, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Anti-Smuggling and Organised Crime Branch of the Istanbul Police Department has been cracking down on the production and sale of counterfeit alcohol. The policemen confiscated significant amounts of fake alcoholic drinks, as well as banderoles, labels, and other materials used for producing counterfeit alcohol.
As a result, thirty-two businesses received fines for participation in the illegal production and sale of these counterfeit products.
The news comes as Turkey's tourism sector is set for a record-breaking year in 2024, with industry experts predicting unprecedented growth in both visitor numbers and revenue.
In the first nine months of 2024, Turkey hosted 49.2 million visitors, generating 46.9 billion US dollars in revenue. This marks a nine per cent increase in visitor numbers and a seven per cent rise in revenue compared to the same period last year, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The figures for the initial three quarters are the highest in Turkey's history, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in a press briefing in Istanbul on October 31.
"We are on track to surpass our year-end target of 60 million visitors," he said.
Turkish travel agencies have developed low-season travel packages to break the seasonality barrier in tourism, especially for Mediterranean resorts during the winter months.
Antalya, a Mediterranean tourist hotspot, attracts over 30,000 tourists daily, many of them European pensioners. Its year-round mild climate and competitive prices make it an attractive destination.
--IANS
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