Two men were found dead in a house in western Turkey yesterday from apparent alcohol poising after drinking bootleg liquor.

Officials did not comment on the cause of death of Ahmet Yaşar and Oktay Odabaş but media outlets reported that they distilled and drank bootleg rakı, a popular aniseed-flavored local drink, before they were found dead in their home in the western town of Edremit in Balıkesir province.

Despite its dangers, bootleg drinks remain popular in Turkey where acting without precaution is modus operandi for some drinkers. Some 14 people died in 2015 in Istanbul in one week after drinking bootleg liquor they bought or distilled by themselves,. A crackdown on bootleg drink sellers has led to a decline in the number of deaths.