02.01.2026 17:09
The alleged funeral mix-up that occurred in the morgue of a hospital in Didim, Aydın, has brought Turkey and Germany face to face. The incident, which arose from the incorrect delivery of the bodies of German and Turkish citizens who died on the same day to the wrong families, has led to the reopening of the grave and prompted a prosecutor's investigation.
The claim that the bodies of German and Turkish citizens who died on the same day in Aydın's Didim district were mixed up in the hospital morgue has caused a crisis. The incident came to light when the German family noticed the situation, and the prosecutor's office launched an investigation.
THEY LOST THEIR LIVES ON THE SAME DAY
The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at Didim State Hospital. German citizen Derahaea Mana Heffmann (81), who died of a heart attack, and Turkish citizen Fikriye Tuna (76) were both taken to the hospital morgue on the same day.
MAJOR MISTAKE IN THE MORGUE
According to the claim, due to a mix-up in the morgue, the bodies were delivered to the wrong families. Initially, the relatives of Fikriye Tuna came to the hospital and received the body. After the procedures, the body was buried in the cemetery.
CRISIS EMERGED WHEN THE GERMAN FAMILY NOTICED
After a while, the German family, who came to the hospital to collect the body, realized that the body in the morgue did not belong to them. Upon reporting the situation, it was confirmed that the bodies had been mixed up.
Following the incident, the German family filed a complaint against the hospital management.
GRAVE REOPENED
After the incident came to light, hospital officials contacted the Turkish family. Upon reporting that the wrong body had been buried, the grave was reopened with the family's consent. The bodies were delivered to the correct families.
After the scandal, the Didim Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the incident.