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A 26-year-old engineer, Ayben Ozcilingir Turtura, was rushed to intensive care after drinking what she believed to be a traditional Turkish coffee at a cafe in Beyoglu, one of Istanbul’s busiest districts. Doctors suspected that the beverage contained a caustic substance known as sodium hydroxide (also called caustic soda), commonly found in industrial cleaning products, which caused severe internal burns to her throat, esophagus, windpipe, stomach, and lungs. She was initially intubated and taken to the intensive care unit for emergency treatment.
Authorities later discovered that the coffee had allegedly been prepared with liquid stored in a kitchen bottle that actually contained industrial dishwashing detergent. The cafe was sealed by municipal teams, while the cafe operator and the staff member who prepared the drink were detained. A court then imposed travel bans and house arrest on both suspects.
According to initial findings by Beyoglu Asayis Bureau teams, the father of the business operators had reportedly filled kitchen bottles with dishwashing detergent for cleaning purposes. These unlabeled bottles were later found standing on the counter. During the rush of customer service, a cafe worker, identified as Munire A., believed that one of these bottles contained water and used it to both prepare the coffee and serve drinking water to the customer. She said in her statement that she “filled small glasses from the bottle on the counter and served them with the coffee,” adding that she later used the same bottle to make another serving of coffee.
She explained that there were no markings or labels on the bottles, making it impossible to differentiate water from detergent, and said she was “shocked and deeply saddened” when informed of the mistake. Another employee, Sila Nur, confirmed that these same glass bottles had regularly been used to store detergent and that their appearance was very similar to water.
The Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate issued a statement explaining that endoscopy procedures revealed inflammation in the stomach and esophagus. Due to swelling in the respiratory tract, the patient was initially intubated and monitored in intensive care. Health officials said her condition had begun to improve and that she had been successfully removed from respiratory support. However, treatment continues due to internal injuries caused by the chemical exposure.
Turkish coffee, a finely ground traditional coffee prepared by boiling water and coffee together in a pot called a cezve, is widely considered a symbol of hospitality in Türkiye. Sodium hydroxide, on the other hand, is an industrial-strength cleaning agent that can cause severe tissue burns if ingested.
The court imposed a travel ban and ordered house arrest for the cafe employee who prepared the drink, as well as the business operator who was present at the time. Both were taken into custody following police questioning, while the cafe itself was sealed by Beyoglu Municipality teams. The investigation is ongoing to determine responsibilities and safety violations.
Authorities confirmed that the cafe was operated by two sisters, while their father had filled the detergent bottles that were left in the kitchen. Statements revealed that neither employees nor operators used any labeling on the bottles, leading to serious risks of confusion.
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