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[crashartist1]

Embassy of the United States of America

Ankara, Turkey

March 4, 2005

Embassy Ankara Warden Message 02

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 www.usconsulate-istanbul.org.tr <http://www.usconsulate-istanbul.org.tr>. Poison Control in the US can be accessed 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-222-1222.



Just wanted to put the warning out there. I was asked to distribute this information accordingly to as many Nationals as possible as quickly as possible.

Everyones favorite CIA agent!

[Faustino]

I think we started this on another thread. The death toll is closer to 30 now, although they caught the *beep* that made the stuff.

BEWARE: they reckon VODKA and GIN are also contaminated, so stick to trusty Efes Extra for a while

[Baba Alex]

[whynotme]

[justme]

As a good American I tempted fate this weekend, and braved the rakı.

It reminded me a little of high school, when we used to buy doses from Haight Street denizens, that heady thrill of wondering if it's gonna kick in or kill you...

I'm not dead, by the way...