6 stand trial in Istanbul over insecticide poisoning deaths of Turkish-German family
ISTANBUL (AP) — Six hotel workers and pest control workers went on trial in Turkey Tuesday, accused of causing the death of a family of four from Germany who were poisoned by an insecticide while they were vacationing in Istanbul, media reported.
The German-Turkish Bocek family was staying at the Harbor Suites Old City hotel in Istanbul’s Fatih district when they fell ill on November 12, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
They took a taxi to the hospital, complaining of nausea and vomiting, before returning to the hotel. The next day, they were taken to hospital by ambulance, where Kadir Muhammet, 6, and his sister Masal, 3, died. Their mother, Cigdem, died on November 14, while their father, Servet, died on November 17.
The Boceks’ deaths have raised concerns about hotel safety standards in Türkiye and prompted calls for stricter monitoring. In January last year, 78 people were killed in a fire that ripped through a hotel at a ski resort in northwest Turkey.
Doctors were unable to reach the Bocek family because, disturbed by the smell of the insecticide-treated room, receptionist Muhammad Moeen had left and locked the hotel’s front door, according to an indictment presented to Istanbul’s 30th High Criminal Court.
Footage released at the time showed Servet Bocek carrying his daughter into the reception area before frantically trying to break the glass door.
The seven-minute delay before Moeen returned to open the door was cited in the indictment as a contributing factor in the family’s deaths, as was the lack of precautions while spraying and the absence of personnel to respond to emergencies.
Although the case was initially treated as food poisoning, an inspection revealed traces of phosphine insecticide gas on towels, masks and samples taken from the hotel. Phosphine is a highly toxic substance that can cause serious respiratory problems and organ damage.
The now-closed Harbor Suites is one of several low-cost hotels within walking distance of tourist attractions such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
Prosecutors seek prison sentences ranging from 2 years and 8 months to 22 1/2 years for negligently causing multiple deaths against hotel owner Hakan Oglak; DSS Pest Control owners Zeki Kisi and Serkan Kisi; Dogan Cagferoglu, DSS employee; and the receptionist Moeen.
Another hotel employee, Rustemsha Batyrov, faces between 2 and 15 years in prison for the same offense.
Cagferoglu, who sprayed the downstairs room directly below the Boceks’ bedroom, was not certified to use dangerous chemicals, according to the indictment.
The company was also not certified and used aluminum phosphide, a substance unsuitable for residential spaces. The indictment also says she employed unauthorized personnel and failed to take security measures.
Oglak is accused of allowing the use of dangerous chemicals by unqualified personnel, failing to take safety precautions during spraying and failing to evacuate the hotel.
Three other tourists staying at Harbor Suites at the time also suffered the effects of poisoning but recovered after treatment.
Meanwhile, it was revealed on Tuesday that two Dutch teenagers had died of phosphine poisoning at another hotel in Istanbul’s Fatih district, a few months before the Boceks.
Jamil Yusuf Mohammed, 17, and his brother Yazdani, 15, were found dead in their room at the Grand Sami Hotel on August 22 last year. Their father, Rashid, recovered after hospital treatment.
Five hotel employees and pest control workers were charged and jailed pending trial, the Demiroren news agency reported.
