04.02.2026 20:12
The investigation into the death of the Böcek family, who were treated in the hospital in Istanbul for suspected 'poisoning' during their holiday from Germany and later passed away, has been completed. In the indictment, prison sentences ranging from 3 years to 22 years and 6 months are requested for 5 suspects for the crime of 'causing the death of multiple people with conscious negligence.' For one suspect, a prison sentence of 2 to 15 years is sought for the crime of 'causing death by negligence.'
A 6-year-old boy, Kadir Muhammet Böcek, who was treated in the hospital for suspected 'poisoning' after coming to Istanbul for a holiday from Germany, and subsequently passed away, along with 3-year-old Masal Böcek, mother Çiğdem Böcek, and father Servet Böcek, the investigation into their deaths has been completed.
22 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OF PRISON REQUESTED FOR 6 SUSPECTS In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that the suspects Serkan Kışı, Zeki Kışı, Doğan Cağferoğlu, Hakan Oğlak, and Muhammad Moeen Ud In Chıshtı be separately sentenced to imprisonment from 2 years and 8 months to 22 years and 6 months for the crime of 'causing the death of multiple people with conscious negligence.' For Rustemsha Batyrov, a prison sentence of 2 to 15 years was requested for the crime of 'causing the death of multiple people with negligence.' The prepared indictment was sent to the Istanbul 40th Heavy Penal Court for evaluation.
THEY ALSO PERFORMED PEST CONTROL AT A QURAN COURSE IN FATIH According to the report of the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate included in the indictment, it was stated that a biocidal product application against pests was carried out by a company named 'DSS Pest Control' at the hotel where the poisoning incident occurred, and that the application was carried out by Doğan Cağferoğlu. It was noted that the contact number left on the form after the application belonged to Serkan Kışı. In the investigation conducted regarding the company DSS Pest Control, it was written that the company also performed the application that caused the poisoning of a child named Abdulaziz Uzgenbaeva at a Quran course located in Fatih, and a criminal complaint was filed against the suspect Serkan Kışı by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
"ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED WITHOUT PERMISSION" Additionally, the report stated that during an inspection at a hotel in Fatih, it was determined that the biocidal product application was again carried out by the same company and under the responsibility of Serkan Kışı by Doğan Cağferoğlu, and that there was no record of the company in the system where records of biocidal product application workplaces and personnel working in these workplaces were kept, indicating that it was determined that they were operating without permission. It was also noted that no certificate record belonging to Doğan Cağferoğlu was found and that he was applying biocidal products (medications used for pest control) without permission.
"IT WAS PEST CONTROLLED BY DOĞAN CAĞFEROĞLU" In the indictment, it was stated that in the incident that resulted in the deaths of Servet Böcek, Çiğdem Böcek, Masal Böcek, and Kadir Muhammet Böcek, who were staying at the hotel, and the injuries of foreign nationals Mustafa Taamart, Reda Fakhri, and Ayoub Hamraoui, the victims came to Istanbul for a tourist trip, and both groups were accommodated at the hotel where the incident occurred. Following a complaint about bugs in room 101 of the hotel, the hotel official Hakan Oğlak decided to have the room treated, and it was reported that they agreed with the DSS Pest Control company regarding the treatment of the room, and that the room 101, located right next to the hotel reception, was treated by the company employee suspect Doğan Cağferoğlu. During this process, it was noted that the suspect Muhammad Moeen was at the hotel reception, and although Muhammad's shift had ended, the other reception staff suspect Rustemsha Batyrov asked suspect Muhammad, 'I am very sick, can you cover for me?' and that suspect Muhammad returned to the hotel at night to continue working.
"THEY WAITED 7 MINUTES FOR THE DOOR TO BE OPENED" In the indictment, it was written that the suspect Muhammad, who was disturbed by the smell due to the pest control in room 101 next to the reception, left the hotel and locked the hotel's outer door, while the Böcek family had gone to the hospital the day before due to complaints of nausea and vomiting, received treatment, and left the hospital; however, on the night of the incident, their discomfort continued to worsen, and therefore the victims called for an ambulance. It was stated that victim Servet Böcek went down to the hotel lobby to take his seriously ill daughter Masal to the ambulance, but could not open the door because it was locked, and they waited for about 7 minutes for the door to be opened and could not reach the ambulance waiting at the door. In the end, suspect Muhammad heard the sounds and came to the hotel to open the door, and the victims were taken to the ambulance and transported to the hospital, where the victim children Masal Böcek and Kadir Muhammet Böcek passed away that same night, and in the following days, the victims Çiğdem Böcek and Servet Böcek also lost their lives in the hospital where they were treated. It was also written that the complainants Mustafa Taamart, Reda Fakhri, and Ayoub Hamraoui, who were also staying at the hotel and came to Istanbul for tourism, had no complaints and came to the hospital for treatment and were discharged.
"PEST CONTROL WAS PERFORMED WITHOUT ANY TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL MEASURES" Servet Böcek, Çiğdem Böcek, Masal Böcek, and Kadir Muhammet Böcek, who died from poisoning, were stated to have stayed in room 202 on the first floor of the hotel, thus being one floor above the reception. It was expressed that the pest control was carried out in the hotel without any technical and medical measures, and that the lack of personnel to intervene in emergencies in the hotel along with the pest control carried out without precautions and the locking of the hotel's outer door delayed the victims' access to help, which was understood to be a factor in the incident resulting in death.
IT WAS STATED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS PREVENTABLE Furthermore, in the indictment, it was stated that suspect Serkan Kışı carried out the application that led to the poisoning incident without permission, and that suspect Doğan Cağferoğlu, an employee of the company without a biocidal product applicator certificate, performed pest control using the product named 'Fumigas 57% TB' with the active ingredient 'Aluminum Phosphide' in an unconscious, irregular, and unlicensed manner.
It was stated that, as much as the technical defect of the pest control company, the hotel management also has a responsibility under its duty of care, and that the hotel officials are obliged to ensure the pest control of the hotel as well as to supervise that this process is carried out in methods that do not harm human health. It was noted that the incident was of a foreseeable, preventable, and controllable nature, and occurred due to the failure to take necessary administrative and technical measures.