A family of four on holiday in Istanbul, Turkey, tragically died after what was initially thought to be food poisoning turned out to be something much more sinister. Investigators now believe that deadly gases from a powerful pesticide used to kill bedbugs leaked directly into the family’s hotel room, poisoning them while they slept.
The Bocek family, who were visiting from Hamburg, Germany, included parents Cigdem and Servet, along with their young children, Masal, 3, and Kadir Muhammet, 6. Police and prosecutors have determined the deadly gas wafted from the ground floor of the Harbour Suit Hotel, where the pest control treatment was applied. The toxin then traveled up through the bathroom ventilation shaft and into their room.
The focus of the ongoing investigation is aluminum phosphide poisoning, per The Sun. If you’re not familiar with it, that’s a pesticide typically used in agriculture or homes, and inhaling high amounts can quickly cause death. This is a top-tier safety failure, especially since investigators found that an employee of the pest control company using these products didn’t even have official certification. It’s awful to think that a lack of proper certification could lead to such a catastrophic error.
This turned out to be an avoidable death
The family arrived for their vacation on November 9. They spent the next couple of days exploring Istanbul, eating at various street stalls and restaurants. But the nightmare began on November 11. That’s when Cigdem and Servet rushed to the emergency department because their children were suffering severe symptoms, including intense nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. It would have been better if their reservation disappeared before they ever came.
After their initial hospital visit, the family returned to the hotel, but their conditions only worsened. Tragically, the mother Cigdem and her two children were pronounced dead. Servet was taken to Cemil Taskcioglu Hospital and placed in intensive care for six days before his death was announced by Istanbul health chief Abdullah Emre Guner on November 17. It’s one of the worst things that can happen in a hotel.
Authorities are taking this incredibly seriously. Eleven people have been arrested in connection with the case so far. Initially, police arrested four people on suspicion of causing death through negligence, including a Turkish delight seller, a cafe owner, a stuffed-mussel seller, and a kokorec seller, due to the initial food poisoning theory.
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) November 19, 2025
WARNING: This post describes a fatal mass poisoning involving children.
An entire family of four, including two young children, has died after a hotel in Turkey allegedly used a toxic "bedbug" pesticide that leaked into their room.
The Bocek family, who were visiting Istanbul… pic.twitter.com/peqtpw8FwY
However, seven more people, including hotel staff and the pest control worker, have since been arrested as the focus shifted to the chemical poisoning. Prosecutors are actively examining if the deaths were caused specifically by the aluminum phosphide.
The Harbour Suit Hotel was immediately evacuated and sealed off while police collected samples. We know that this tragedy wasn’t isolated to the Bocek family; an Italian tourist and a Moroccan tourist staying at the same hotel were also taken to the hospital with suspected poisoning.
The devastated grandfather of the children has publicly demanded answers, and you can bet the authorities are working hard to figure out exactly how this catastrophic error occurred. The investigation into the deaths of the Bocek family continues, and toxicology tests on samples from the victims and the hotel are still underway.
