Family of four tourists who died in Istanbul were likely poisoned by pesticides in a hotel, report says

A Turkish-German family of four who died while on vacation in Istanbul He was likely poisoned by gas emitted from a pesticide used to treat an insect infestation at his hotel, according to a preliminary autopsy report cited by Turkey’s state news agency.

The Bocek family had arrived from Germany and was staying in a hotel in the Fatih district of Istanbul. They fell ill on November 12 and went to a hospital by taxi for treatment before returning to the hotel. They got sick again the next day and were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The children, Kadir Muhammet, 6, and Masal, 3, died that day. His mother, Cigdem, died on November 14, while his father, Servetus, died on November 17.

A preliminary report submitted to the prosecution found that phosphine gas, a metabolite of the insecticide, was present on towels, masks and swab samples taken from various parts of the hotel room, Anadolu Agency reported late Tuesday.

The autopsy also confirmed that the family had not been poisoned by food, ruling out initial suspicions that it was street food consumed during their tour of the city.

Two other tourists staying at the hotel suffered nausea and vomiting and were hospitalized, Anadolu reported.

Authorities arrested 11 people in connection with the case and the hotel was closed.

The deaths raised concerns about hotel safety standards and prompted calls for stricter oversight.

Among those detained following the family’s death were the hotel owner and two staff members, as well as several food vendors and pest control workers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogen said after a cabinet meeting last week that “our security forces and prosecutors will lead the necessary investigations to determine the causes of these deaths,” while Istanbul regional health chief Abdullah Emre Guner said his investigation into the incident was being “conducted with the utmost diligence.”

“I offer my condolences to the family members who have passed away and express my deepest condolences to their families,” Guner wrote in a post on X.