Turkish police have detained 22 people and seized 7,000 bottles of bootleg alcohol in an investigation into the deaths of four Russian tourists of suspected alcohol poisoning after a yacht party near the resort of Bodrum, Interfax reported.
Turkish prosecutors are treating the deaths as murder after methanol was found to have been added to the alcohol consumed during the May 27 outing, the report said, citing Turkey's Tourism Ministry.
"We are not talking about poisoning from spoiled food due to negligence or irresponsibility," the ministry said. "Those who added methanol to the alcohol knew that they had added a poison that could kill people. The person or persons deserve no mercy."
The four dead tourists were among 20 Russians hospitalized after the yacht trip. One Russian remained in a coma in a Turkish hospital Wednesday.
(MT)
