19.11.2025 12:19
After taking a sip of the Turkish coffee she ordered at a café in Beyoğlu, engineer Ayben Özçilingir Turtura was admitted to intensive care with suspected caustic substance poisoning. While her treatment continues, the statement of Münire A, who prepared the coffee, has emerged. Münire A said, "I made the coffee from a bottle that was on the counter and served it with a glass filled from that same bottle. There was no label on it, and its color was indistinguishable from water. It was impossible to tell apart."
According to information obtained on Monday, November 17, in the Ömer Avni neighborhood of Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Ayben Özçilingir Turtura (26) ordered Turkish coffee at a café she visited with a friend around 1:00 PM. As soon as Turtura took her first sip of coffee, she suddenly felt unwell and rushed to the restroom. After a while, she was taken to the hospital with complaints of shortness of breath and numbness in her tongue. After the initial intervention at the hospital, Turtura was transferred to another hospital with a suspicion of caustic substance poisoning and was admitted to intensive care.
CLAIM OF "COFFEE MADE WITH DETERGENT"
In the investigation conducted by the Beyoğlu Public Order Bureau teams, it was determined that the father of the responsible person at the establishment, Engin Ö. (52), had put dishwashing detergent in the bottles used in the kitchen, and Münire A. (50), who made the coffee, accidentally prepared the coffee from this detergent-filled bottle. Gülsüm Sude Ö. (26), the owner of the establishment, and her sister Sıla Nur Ö. (28) were identified as employees of the establishment. Münire A., who made the coffee, and Sıla Nur Ö., who was present at the café at the time of the incident, were referred to judicial authorities as suspects after their procedures.
HOUSE ARREST GIVEN TO 2 SUSPECTS
Regarding the matter, the father Engin Ö. and the owner Gülsüm Sude Ö. were consulted. Münire A. and Sıla Nur Ö., who were referred to the courthouse, were subjected to judicial control measures in the form of a 'travel ban' and 'house arrest'. The café was sealed by the municipal police teams affiliated with Beyoğlu Municipality.
"THE BUSINESS SUDDENLY FILLED WITH CUSTOMERS"
Münire A., who made the coffee, stated, "Sıla Nur and I planned an event last weekend, covering November 15 and 16. I brought some products to the establishment for this event and sold these products. When all the products I sold ran out, we decided to extend the event to the evening of November 17. On Monday afternoon, I went to Sıla Nur. Sıla Nur was working alone. Her sister Gülsüm Sude was out of town. While I was dealing with my products next to Sıla Nur, suddenly the business filled with customers," she said.
MADE COFFEE FROM THE LIQUID IN THE BOTTLE AND SERVED IT WITH A GLASS
Münire A. continued, "Sıla Nur was panicking to serve the customers. I asked her if there was anything I could help with. She told me that there were coffees in the coffee machine in the kitchen and that I could serve the coffees in cups along with a small glass of water. I went to the kitchen and put the coffees from the machine into cups. Then I filled small glasses with water from the bottle on the counter and served them to the table. After that, I asked Sıla Nur again if there was anything I could do. Sıla Nur asked me, 'Can you make another coffee?' I went back to the kitchen and filled the coffee machine with water from the bottle on the counter again. When the machine made the coffee, I put it in a cup and filled a glass with water from that bottle again and served it to the same table," she stated.
"WE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE ALLERGENS IN THE COFFEE"
Münire A. continued her statement, "The customer fainted after tasting the coffee and went to the restroom. We couldn't understand what happened. We thought there might be some allergenic substances in the coffee. We did not let anyone else, including ourselves, taste the coffees. When the woman's condition worsened, her friends took her to the hospital. We filled a cardboard cup with the coffee the woman had tasted and gave it to them, suggesting they might be able to make a comparison. Then the woman and her friends left. While Sıla Nur and I were discussing what might have happened, I showed Sıla Nur the bottles I had filled with water and said I had filled the water from these bottles," she said.
"IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH THE LIQUID"
Münire A. stated, "Sıla Nur also told me that the liquid in the bottles was not water but detergent. We were very upset and surprised by the situation. There were no labels on the bottles, and the color of the liquid was indistinguishable from water. It was impossible to tell apart. Since the bottles were on the counter, I thought it was water. After this incident, I wrote 'detergent' on the bottles with a black marker. To prevent such a mistake from happening again. I did not cause this situation intentionally or willingly. I am very sorry for the incident that occurred. I do not know the woman who was poisoned," she said.
"MÜNİRE IS OUR NEIGHBOR CLOSE TO OUR BUSINESS"
Sıla Nur Ö. stated, "Münire A. is our neighbor who lives close to our business. The victim Ayben Özçilingir Turtura and her friends frequently come to our business during their lunch breaks. I know them this way, and over time, a familiarity has developed between us. Münire A. and I had planned an event last weekend, covering November 15 and 16. During the event, Münire was going to sell some products at our business. The event continued on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday evening, when we looked, some of the products were left. We decided to extend the event to Monday. We decided to continue until Monday evening," she said.
"I INDICATED THE WATER PURIFICATION DEVICE"
Sıla Nur Ö. stated, "On Monday afternoon, Münire came to the workplace. At that time, I was alone. My sister Gülsüm Sude was out of town. At one point, the business became quite busy with customers. Since I was working alone, I panicked to keep up with the orders and attend to the customers. During the rush, three people came from the table where a woman named Ayben was sitting, and then two more came. Seeing my rush, Münire asked if I needed help. I told her that she could put the two Turkish coffees I had put in the coffee machine into cups and that she could also put a glass of water next to them while I attended to other customers. I remember indicating the water purification device in our kitchen while telling her to put the water. After Münire did these, she informed me, and I served the two coffees to the table.
Münire asked, "Is there anything else I can do?" I told her she could make a coffee. She made a coffee with the machine and served it herself," she said.
"I PUT THE COFFEE IN A CARTON AND GAVE IT TO MY FRIENDS"
Sıla Nur Ö. continued her statement, "While I was busy with other tasks, Ayben fainted. I heard noises and accompanied her to the bathroom. She went to the bathroom, and she was quite bad while going. During this time, I called the ambulance. While I was talking to the emergency call center, Ayben's friends said, 'We have a car, we can't wait for the ambulance, let's take her ourselves, it will be faster.' So we hung up the phone without requesting an ambulance from the emergency call center. Her friends took Ayben to the vehicle. I filled the coffee that Ayben had drunk into a cardboard cup and gave it to her friends, saying, 'Take this too, give it to the doctors, maybe there is something in it, and they might want to examine it.' Her friends took Ayben and left our workplace to go to the hospital. After this incident, we had stopped serving other customers. After sending the customers away from our workplace, Münire and I tried to understand the situation and discussed what might have happened," she said.
"'I MADE THE COFFEE WITH THESE WATERS,' SHE SAID, AND I FELT LIKE THE WORLD WAS CRUMBLING AROUND ME"
Sıla Nur Ö. said, "Münire showed me the bottles that I knew contained detergent and said, 'I made the coffee with these waters.' When I heard this, I felt like the world was crumbling around me. I said, 'Münire, there was detergent in these bottles.' These bottles are glass bottles that we constantly put detergent into. They have no labels on them. The color of the detergents is similar to that of water, and they look no different from water. After this incident, we wrote 'detergent' on the bottles, but it was too late. Since we only worked ourselves at our workplace and knew that there was detergent in the bottles, there had been no problem until now. I am very sorry for what happened," she expressed.