Türkiye - Death of a family of tourists poisoned by a meal or pesticides in Istanbul

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Türkiye: A German mother and her two children die from food poisoning

By Le Figaro with AFP
3 hours ago

A mother and her two children from Germany succumbed to food poisoning in a popular tourist area of ​​Istanbul , and the father was in intensive care on Friday, Turkish media and authorities reported.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the suspected poisoning investigation, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç announced on the X platform . The family, originally from Germany, home to a large Turkish community, according to Turkish media, were on vacation in Turkey.

The couple and their two children, aged 3 and 6, were hospitalized after falling ill on Tuesday. The deaths of the two children were announced Thursday by the Ministry of Health, and that of the mother on Friday. "The father is still receiving treatment" in the intensive care unit, Tunç added.

The restaurant has been sealed off.

Local media are pointing the finger at mussels bought from a street vendor and stuffed potatoes, known as "kumpirs ," a popular street food, eaten in the tourist district of Örtakoy on the European side of the Bosphorus. "As part of the investigation, samples were taken from the places where the family ate, and four managers and waiters were arrested ," according to Tunç.

The restaurant where the family reportedly dined has been sealed off, according to the DHA news agency. The private television channel NTV, citing a police investigation , reports that the family is from Germany and was on vacation in Turkey.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/internation...mbent-a-une-intoxication-alimentaire-20251114

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2:59 AM · Nov 14, 2025​​

 

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Türkiye: 11 arrests after the death of a family of tourists poisoned by a meal or pesticides

Investigation• The father of the Turkish-German family who died after a probable poisoning passed away Monday evening in Istanbul, bringing the death toll to four

20 Minutes with AFP

Published on 17/11/2025 at 7:40 PM• Updated on 17/11/2025 at 7:55 PM

The entire family of tourists has been wiped out. All its members perished from probable food poisoning , following the death of the father on Monday evening in Istanbul, bringing the death toll to four, the Turkish private news agency DHA reported. The members of this Turkish family, residents of Germany and vacationing in Istanbul , fell ill on Wednesday after consuming several popular dishes in the Ortaköy district, on the banks of the Bosphorus.

The mother, Cigdem Bocek, died in hospital on Friday, the day after the deaths of her son Kadir, 6, and her daughter Masal, 3. The father, Servet Bocek, died after five days in intensive care.

Poisoning or pesticides?

A total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, according to the official Turkish news agency Anadolu. An investigation initially focused on suspected food poisoning was opened by the Istanbul prosecutor's office, before evidence emerged suggesting the family may have been exposed to pesticides at the hotel where they were staying, Turkish media reported.

According to the newspaper Hürriyet , which cites investigators, a product against bedbugs was sprayed in a ground floor room of the hotel and may have reached the family's room on the first floor through a bathroom ventilation opening.

Nausea and vomiting

The hotel, located in Istanbul's historic old quarter and whose name has not been released, was evacuated on Saturday after two guests, suffering from nausea and vomiting like the family, were hospitalized, Anadolu reported. The establishment was sealed off on Sunday.

Among those arrested were five food vendors, the hotel owner and two employees, as well as three people working for a pest control company, Anadolu reported, without specifying when they were arrested.

https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/4186...famille-touristes-intoxiques-repas-pesticides