Lives shattered by bootleg alcohol in Turkey
Lives shattered by bootleg alcohol in Turkey

More than 130 people have already died this year after drinking bootleg alcohol in Turkey, where clandestine production is widespread, and bootleg alcohol is often tainted with methanol, a toxic substance that can cause blindness, liver damage and death.

Although Turkey is a nominally secular country, alcohol taxes have risen sharply under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Muslim who vociferously opposes drinking.

Critics say such high prices are fuelling the production of moonshine.