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A suspected food poisoning case in Istanbul’s historic Fatih district, which resulted in the deaths of four members of the same family, has led to the arrest of four individuals, including a street food vendor, a cafe owner, a kokorec seller, and a lokum vendor. The investigation, which has widened to include hotel staff and pest control workers, now involves 11 detainees. Authorities have sealed the hotel where the family had been staying, as inspectors intensify efforts to establish the cause of the tragedy.
The Bocek family, consisting of parents Servet and Cigdem, and their two children, had been staying in a small hotel in Fatih when they suddenly fell ill and were rushed to hospital. The two children and mother died shortly afterward, while father Servet also passed away despite medical intervention. Two other hotel guests were also taken to hospital for treatment, while a third person accompanying them was admitted due to cardiac rhythm issues.
Officials noted that while the deceased family had been lodged on the first floor of the hotel, three tourists involved in the most recent incident were staying on the fourth floor, raising further concerns about shared environmental or contamination factors.
Police conducted an initial inspection inside the hotel, where it was determined that pest control had recently been carried out. According to early findings, the treatment was applied only in one room located on the ground floor. Authorities collected information and documentation related to the substances used during the process.
Some of the chemicals were reported to include substances commonly used in agricultural fumigation, which may pose a risk to human health. Samples from the premises have been taken for laboratory analysis to determine whether the pest control materials played any role in the incident.
Following joint inspections by the Provincial Health Directorate and the Fatih District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, officials decided to seal the hotel. Police teams began examining the building early in the morning and continued their work late into the evening. After the technical review, municipal officers arrived and placed official seals on the building, halting its operations.
With the investigation expanding, law enforcement officers detained 11 suspects, including hotel employees and pest control personnel. Among those transferred to court were midye (stuffed mussel) vendor Yusuf D., cafe owner Fatih Mustafa O., kokorec seller Ercan E., and lokum (Turkish delight) vendor Fatih T. They were brought before the Sulh Ceza Court and were remanded in custody pending further legal proceedings.
Authorities are now focusing on tracing potential links, including where the family ate prior to falling ill, possible contamination from food items, and whether the pest control substances could have contributed to the tragedy.
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