21.11.2025 19:26
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin from Akdeniz University stated regarding the death of the Böcek family, "This poisoning occurred as a result of the release of phosphine, an extremely toxic gas, when aluminum phosphide in tablet form came into contact with moisture." Uğur Çetin, the owner of a pest control company, mentioned that access to aluminum phosphide is very easy, saying, "They even sell it at the grocery store. Go to a village, say 'warehouse tablet,' and they give it to you. It should be sold with a prescription."
Çiğdem Böcek and her children, 6-year-old Kadir Muhammet Böcek and 3-year-old Masal Böcek, who arrived in Istanbul from Germany on November 9 for a vacation, were hospitalized due to nausea and vomiting. The mother and her two children lost their lives, and the father, Servet Böcek, who was intubated, also passed away on November 17.
PRELIMINARY REPORT INDICATES "CHEMICAL POISONING RELATED TO THE HOTEL ENVIRONMENT" The preliminary autopsy report regarding the family's deaths stated that the possibility of "chemical poisoning related to the hotel environment" was primary. It was reported that the suspect who performed pest control at the hotel had no training or certification, yet was found to have used agricultural chemicals. It was emphasized that the use of agricultural chemicals in enclosed areas with high human density is prohibited and that such chemicals can only be applied by certified experts.
"SOME COMPANIES USE AGRICULTURAL POISONS TO GET QUICK RESULTS" Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin from the Faculty of Science at Akdeniz University stated that regular pest control is conducted in hotels, residences, nursing homes, and all living spaces in Turkey, saying, "However, the use of agricultural pesticides in these areas is completely prohibited. Products licensed by the Ministry of Health must be used. Nevertheless, some companies use agricultural poisons to achieve quick results. It is clearly stated in training that this is prohibited, and the licenses of companies that engage in inappropriate practices are revoked. The Ministry of Health provides regular training across Turkey. On average, 500 to 1,000 people complete these trainings each year and receive certification. Those who pass the 3-day applicator training can work in pest control companies," he said.
"PHOSPHINE IS ODORLESS AND CAN LEAK THROUGH WALLS" Prof. Dr. Çetin commented on the usage areas of aluminum phosphide, which is considered to have caused the incident: "The phosphine gas that emerges from the dissolution of aluminum phosphide is odorless and difficult to detect. It can easily leak into other rooms through wall cracks and sink drains. These chemicals can only be used by individuals who have received special fumigation training (the application of chemicals in gas form to a closed environment to kill pests). This poisoning occurred as a result of the release of a highly toxic gas called phosphine when aluminum phosphide, which is in tablet form, comes into contact with moisture. Such agricultural pesticides can only be used in areas where humans are not present, such as large grain silos, wheat depots, rice piles, and ship containers, which will remain closed for several days. However, in the incident that occurred, the inappropriate use of this product by a person with only applicator training, without a responsible supervisor, with the mindset of 'let's solve the problem,' led to disaster."
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin "BED BUGS CAN BE EASILY TRANSPORTED" Emphasizing the necessity of using Ministry of Health approved products, Prof. Dr. Çetin stated, "Especially in hotels and hospitals, due to high human circulation, bed bugs can be easily transported. When cleaning and training are neglected, bed bugs can spread rapidly, leading to serious contaminations affecting dozens of rooms in large hotels and hospitals. Therefore, it is mandatory for employees to receive regular training," he said.
"AGRICULTURAL POISONS SHOULD NEVER ENTER THE HOME" Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Çetin stated, "Pest control operations conducted with products licensed by the Ministry of Health can control the problem. However, due to the widespread entomophobia, the fear of insects in society, people want their problems to be solved in one go, and companies may resort to incorrect practices due to commercial concerns. During pest control, no food should be left exposed in the house. Children and the elderly should not be present in the environment. At least 45 minutes to 1 hour of ventilation should be done after the process. Most importantly, agricultural poisons should never enter the home. The Ministry of Agriculture should absolutely not allow these products to be sold openly and should increase inspections," he said.
"THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS NOT CLOSING THE HOTEL AFTER PEST CONTROL" Uğur Çetin, the owner of a pest control company in Antalya, stated that the biggest mistake in the incident in Istanbul was not evacuating the hotel before pest control. Çetin said, "They should have evacuated the entire hotel and secured it. They would have applied the pest control and ventilated it this way," he said. Stating that they use licensed products in the field of public health as a company, Çetin said, "Poisonings occur due to hotels turning to aluminum phosphide for bed bug complaints. Aluminum phosphide is an agricultural pesticide. It should be used by licensed and fumigation operators under agricultural quarantine. Such incidents occur to achieve quick results. A normal pest control company does not have the authority to use this pesticide according to the public health document obtained from the Antalya Governorship," he said.
"THE DECOMPOSITION TIME OF ALUMINUM PHOSPHIDE IS AT LEAST 32 HOURS" Uğur Çetin pointed out that aluminum phosphide dissolves depending on air temperature and humidity, saying, "There is no reaction of the pesticide below 16 degrees. When it exceeds 16 degrees, the tablets start to open within about 3 hours and turn into gas. If safety precautions are not taken, the gas goes to other rooms from any open place. As soon as it catches the air flow, it exits through the chimney system. It goes wherever it will be evacuated in the air flow. Its decomposition time is approximately 32 hours," he said.
"DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE REQUESTED" Uğur Çetin stated that the documents of the person or persons who will perform the pest control should be requested, saying, "In proper pest control, the company's documents should be requested first."Ruhsatı var mı? Halk sağlığında mı? Zirai karantinada mı? Hudutta mı? Gelecek olan arkadaşların da yaka kartı olması lazım. Gittiğimiz noktalarda gerek mesul müdürümüz gerekse ekip sorumlumuz ilaçlanacak noktanın keşfini yapar, açıklık olan noktalar varsa tespitini yapar" dedi.
"KNOWN AS STORAGE PILL, EVEN SOLD IN GROCERY STORES" Stating that access to aluminum phosphide is very easy, Çetin said, "They even sell it in grocery stores. Go to a village, say 'storage pill', and they give it to you. This should be sold with a prescription. This is a poisonous substance. Both knowledgeable and unknowledgeable people sell this. When you open the box, it is a drug that reacts with the moisture in the air," he said. Uğur Çetin, who stated that aluminum phosphide smells like garlic, said, "This drug has a slightly garlicky smell. The moment you smell this, it says, 'I am starting to poison you.' Or it actually warns you that the gas is starting to affect you. It has a slightly garlicky and sour smell; they need to realize that from there," he said.
"CALL 114 NATIONAL POISON CONTROL CENTER" Emphasizing that the poisoning hotline is not the 112 Emergency Call Center, Çetin stated that those encountering such incidents should call the 114 National Poison Control Center, saying, "If you have nausea, if you have food poisoning; call the 114 National Poison Control Center of Public Health. They provide the best results. The hospital does not know what you are poisoned with," he said.