Father Dies from Suspected Food Poisoning Just Days After the Deaths of His Wife and 2 Kids from Same Illness During Vacation

A father has died just days after his wife and two young children also passed away following a suspected poisoning incident in Turkey, officials have confirmed.

Istanbul’s Regional Health Chief, Dr. Abdullah Emre Guner, announced the death of 38-year-old Servet Böcek in an update on X on Monday, Nov. 17.

“The Böcek family, who fell ill and were hospitalized in Fatih, lost their two children and their mother, and despite all medical interventions, their father, Servet Böcek, also lost his life,” Dr. Guner said in a translated post, offering condolences to the family and noting that the investigation is continuing.

Servet had been staying at a hotel in Istanbul’s Fatih district with his wife and two children — identified by Bild as Çiğdem, 27, Kadir, 6, and Masal, 3 — when all four were hospitalized “on suspicion of food poisoning,” Dr. Guner wrote on X on Nov. 13.

On Nov. 14, Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc confirmed on X that Servet’s wife and their two children had died, while he remained in intensive care. Tunc said that samples had been collected from locations where the family was known to have eaten, and that four people had been taken into custody at that time. He added that the family was taken to the hospital amid “suspicion of poisoning after falling ill.”

Although authorities initially focused on possible food poisoning, evidence has since suggested the Böcek family may have been exposed to pesticides at their hotel, according to reports from CBS News and Metro citing Turkish media.

Two additional tourists reportedly fell ill at the same hotel on Nov. 15, per the Hürriyet Daily News. According to that outlet and CBS News, the family had been staying at Harbour Suites Old City. Investigators collected samples from bedsheets, pillows, water bottles and blankets at the property, and authorities now suspect a chemical may have entered the family’s room through the bathroom ventilation system.

The Böcek family had traveled from Hamburg, Germany, to Istanbul for a vacation on Nov. 9, per CNN Türk. Media reports cited by CBS News say the family ate popular local street foods, including mussels with rice and “kumpir,” a baked potato with various toppings. Other reports indicate they also tried “kokorec,” a grilled lamb offal dish, and Turkish delight.

According to Metro, the two children began suffering from nausea and vomiting, and their parents soon developed similar symptoms. The family went to the hospital on Nov. 12 and were discharged later that day, Hürriyet Daily News reported. Çiğdem, Kadir and Masal were rushed back to the hospital with high fever and vomiting and died on Nov. 13.

CBS News, citing media reports, stated that the family was Turkish and had been living in Germany at the time of the incident.

Per Hürriyet Daily News, the number of people under investigation has since risen to 11. The hotel owner, several staff members and employees of the pest-control company that recently carried out fumigation at the property have been taken into custody, according to the outlet.

Istanbul’s Provincial Health Directorate and the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office have both launched investigations into the case, according to statements from Dr. Guner and Justice Minister Tunc.

The exact causes of death for the family members will be determined by the Forensic Medicine Institute, Hürriyet Daily News reported.