Drug-related deaths in Turkey plunge 75%

ANKARA

Over the last four years, the number of drug-related deaths in Turkey plunged by nearly three-fourth, said the nation’s interior minister on Friday.

The number of drug-related deaths from 2017 to 2020 dropped from 941 to 239 – a decrease of 74.6% – Suleyman Soylu announced on Twitter.

During the same period, the amount of methamphetamines seized by Turkish law enforcement skyrocketed 477%, he said.

In drug raids by Turkish authorities nationwide, 644 kilograms (1,419 pounds) of methamphetamine were seized in 2017, a figure rising to 3.72 tons in 2020.

The number of cannabis roots seized also soared 507.8%, from 18.9 million in 2017 to nearly 115 million in 2020.