Tragic End to Family Holiday in Istanbul
A family of four from Germany has tragically died while on holiday in Istanbul, with Turkish investigators now suggesting a chemical agent inside their hotel is the most probable cause.
The victims have been named as parents Çiğdem and Servet Böcek, and their two young children, three-year-old Masal and six-year-old Muhammet.
From Suspected Food Poisoning to Chemical Exposure
The family, who had travelled from their home in Hamburg on November 9, fell violently ill while staying at a hotel in Istanbul's Fatih district. They were admitted to a hospital on November 12 suffering from severe nausea and vomiting.
It was initially believed the family had succumbed to a deadly bout of food poisoning, potentially linked to food they had sampled from stalls in the Ortaköy neighbourhood the day before they became ill.
However, Turkey's Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) has since delivered a chilling new assessment. Preliminary findings indicate that chemical exposure inside the hotel is now considered the most likely cause of death.
A statement explained the reasoning, citing the circumstances, the family's medical history, and crucially, the fact that two more people from the same hotel are being treated in hospital with similar symptoms.
Ongoing Investigation and Heartbreaking Timeline
The official statement concluded: ‘So, it is believed that the mother and children most likely died from a chemical substance poisoning originating from the hotel environment, and, less likely, food poisoning related to what they consumed.’
The final cause of death will be determined after comprehensive pathological, microbiological and toxicological analyses are completed on samples taken during the autopsies.
The timeline of this tragedy is particularly heartbreaking. Çiğdem and her two children died last week despite medical intervention. Their father, Servet, fought for his life for six days in intensive care before passing away on Monday evening.
