German Family Dies in Istanbul; Authorities Probe Suspected Hotel Poisoning

A family of four from Hamburg fell ill while visiting Istanbul on November 12 and later died after readmission to hospital, prompting an ongoing investigation into a suspected poisoning at their hotel.

The Böcek family — two children, ages 6 and 3, their 27-year-old mother and 38-year-old father — became unwell after a day of sightseeing and eating local street food. They were initially treated and discharged, but returned to hospital with worsening symptoms. The two children died on Thursday, the mother died the following day, and the father died on Monday after remaining in critical condition.

Authorities first investigated food poisoning and briefly questioned street food vendors in the Ortaköy area. The inquiry shifted when two other guests staying at the same hotel were hospitalized with similar symptoms. Investigators say a pesticide product used to treat bedbugs was reportedly sprayed in a ground-floor room and may have traveled through the hotel’s ventilation system to other rooms.

Municipal officials have closed the hotel in Istanbul’s historic district while the probe continues. Forensic teams entered the building and collected samples from bedsheets, pillows, blankets, and water bottles for laboratory analysis.

"Considering how the incident occurred, their medical history, the latest information obtained, and the fact that two other people from the same hotel were hospitalized with similar complaints, it is believed the family most likely died as a result of chemical poisoning caused by the hotel's environment, and less likely due to food poisoning," investigators said in a preliminary report.

Eleven people have been detained in connection with the case; seven were taken to the main courthouse for further legal processing. Officials said additional forensic testing is required to reach definitive conclusions about the cause of death.

The family was buried in their ancestral town of Bolvadin in central Turkey. While receiving mourners, the children's grandfather said the mother had recently renovated a summer house with plans to move into it one day. "They died without ever being able to sleep in it," he said.