Following Mert's death, the Ministry of Family takes action.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services emphasized the necessity of regulating social media following the death of 11-year-old Mert Yetiştiren, who set himself on fire after pouring cologne on himself. The ministry stated that they will strive to protect children from harmful content.

POURED COLOGNE AND SET HIMSELF ON FIRE

The incident occurred on December 17 in the Yıldırım Beyazıt neighborhood of Bornova district. According to the information obtained, 10-year-old Mert Yetiştiren, who was alone at home, experimented by watching videos of the cologne burning trend on TikTok. The young child poured cologne on himself and ignited it with a lighter, but he was unable to extinguish the flames and suffered burns on his body. After struggling to put out the fire, the child later informed his family about the situation via phone. His mother, who arrived home, then took Mert Yetiştiren to the hospital.

THE YOUNG CHILD LOST HIS LIFE

Mert Yetiştiren, who was treated at Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, could not be saved despite all the interventions and lost his life. After an examination conducted at the İzmir Forensic Medicine Institution, the young child was buried by his relatives. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY

In a statement made on the social media account of the Ministry of Family and Social Services regarding the issue, it was stated, "M.Y, who has been receiving treatment in the hospital for a while, has lost his life despite all the interventions. The death of our child has deeply saddened us, and we extend our condolences to his family and all his relatives. Harmful content and trends on social media are affecting our children to the extent that it can cost them their lives. This tragic event has once again shown us how great the need for social media regulation is. As a ministry, we will continue our efforts to protect our children from these harmful contents and trends without slowing down. Once again, we pray for our child's soul and extend our condolences to his grieving family," it was stated.