Warden Information

Embassy Ankara Warden Message 02

Ankara, Turkey March 4, 2005

This message is being sent to American citizens in Turkey to inform them of the threat of illness or death due to methyl alcohol poisoning from counterfeit “raki.” Raki is a clear anise-flavored alcoholic beverage common throughout Turkey that becomes cloudy when mixed with water.

The U.S. Mission in Turkey has learned that approximately 500,000 genuine “Yeni Raki” brand labels, including the tax hologram, were stolen from a bottling facility in Izmir. The stolen labels were apparently used by an illegal distillery in Istanbul to label bottles of counterfeit raki contaminated with methyl alcohol that have been distributed to numerous locations throughout Turkey including stores and restaurants. The counterfeit bottles contaminated with methyl alcohol all have the “Yeni Raki” label.

Twelve deaths have been reported this week due to methyl alcohol poisoning and a number of other individuals are in critical condition after drinking the counterfeit raki. The Turkish authorities are aggressively pursuing the case and have seized counterfeit raki in several locations across Turkey.

Methyl alcohol ingestion may result in serious consequences including blindness and death. American citizens are warned to avoid any possibly counterfeit raki and to seek medical treatment immediately if they have concerns about methyl alcohol poisoning. The symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning include visual problems, confusion, lethargy, severe abdominal pain and coma.

A list of hospitals and English-speaking doctors in Turkey can be found on the web pages for the Embassy at ankara.usembassy.gov and the Consulate General at http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov. Poison Control in the US can be accessed 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-222-1222.

In the event further information is obtained regarding this or any other security or safety situation in Turkey, the U.S. Mission will provide further updates via this same channel and on the Mission web pages. Additional information regarding Turkey is available on the Consular Information Sheet for Turkey at http://travel.state.gov.

Contact information for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkey:

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara is at 110 Ataturk Boulevard, tel: (90)(312) 455-5555, fax (90)(312) 468-6131. The Internet address is http://ankara.usembassy.gov 

The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul is located at Kaplicalar Mevkii Sokak No. 2, 34460, Istinye, Sariyer, tel: (90) (212) 335-9000, fax (90) (212) 335-9102. Istanbul-specific information can also be accessed via the Consulate's website http://istanbul.usconsulate.gov

The U.S. Consulate in Adana is located at Girne Bulvari No. 212, Guzelevler Mahallesi, Yuregir, Adana, Turkey. tel: (90)(322) 346-6262, fax (90)(322) 346-7916, web site at http://adana.usconsulate.gov 

The U.S. Consulate in Izmir can be reached at (90)(232) 464-8755.