ISTANBUL - The death toll in Turkey from drinking bootleg booze made from deadly methyl alcohol hit 22 after three more people died in Istanbul hospitals, health authorities said Wednesday.
Almost all the deaths occurred in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul, with one person perishing in the northwestern city of Bursa, a spokesowman for the city's health department told AFP.
Health officials have said that the bootleg raki, Turkey's national drink, contained up to 200 times more than the allowed limit of deadly methylated spirits.
Police have arrested at least 15 people and seized thousands of bottles in several operations across the country.
A Turkish company which produces raki on Wednesday began recalling all its supply of the drink from the market and destroying them in a bid to help authorities tackle the affair.
While destroying its current supply of the 70-centilitre bottles of the country's most popular Yeni Raki brand, whose counterfeit versions caused the deaths, the company, Mey Icki, will also distribute bottles with different coloured tops.
The deaths have triggered unrest across Turkey, with many bar owners and industry figures blaming the emergence of illegal stills on higher consumption taxes levied on alcoholic beverages by the Turkish government, which has Islamist roots.
The government has brushed aside the criticism and ruled out reducing the taxes.
03/09/2005 16:00 GMT