21.04.2026 08:50
The trial begins regarding the death of the Böcek family, who came from Germany to Istanbul, under the allegation of "poisoning." In an incident that deeply affected Turkey, 6 defendants, including a hotel official and the owner of the pest control company, will appear before the judge for the first time, with 5 of them being in custody.
A mother, Çiğdem Böcek (27), a father, Servet Böcek (38), and their children, 3-year-old Masal and 6-year-old Kadir Muhammet Böcek, who came to Istanbul for tourism from Germany on November 9, 2025, will face 6 defendants, 5 of whom are in custody, for the deaths attributed to 'poisoning' on November 13, 2025, for the first time in court tomorrow.
DEFENDANTS WILL MAKE THEIR DEFENSE In the hearing to be held at the Istanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court, the 6 defendants, including the detained hotel official Hakan Oğlak and the owner of DSS Pest Control, suspect Serkan Kışı, will make their defense for the first time. Additionally, it is expected that relatives of the Bocek family will also attend the hearing. The prepared indictment also includes the victim Servet Böcek's brother Mustafa Böcek and the victim Çiğdem Böcek's father Mustafa Çelik as 'complainants'. It is expected that the statements of the complainants will also be taken in the hearing to be held tomorrow.
FROM THE INDICTMENT In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Bocek family is listed as 'victims', 2 individuals as 'complainants', and Serkan Kışı, Zeki Kışı, Doğan Cağferoğlu, Hakan Oğlak, Muhammad Moeen Ud Din Chishti, and Rüstemsha Batyrov as 'suspects'. The indictment states that the Bocek family lived in Germany, came to Istanbul for tourism on November 9, 2025, and that individuals named Mustafa Taamart, Reda Fakhrı, and Ayoub Hamraouı also came for the same purpose, with both groups being accommodated at the hotel named 'Harbour Suites Old City' where the incident occurred.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HE LEFT THE HOTEL AFTER LOCKING IT DUE TO THE ODOR The indictment states that upon a complaint about bugs in room 101, the suspect hotel official Hakan Oğlak decided to have the room fumigated, and after consulting with DSS Pest Control Company, the parties agreed on the fumigation of the room. On November 11, 2025, room 101, located right next to the hotel reception, was fumigated by the suspect company employee Doğan Cağferoğlu, and it was noted that the suspect reception employee Muhammad Moeen Ud Din Chishti was also present during this process. The suspect Rustemsha Batyrov, the next day, told the suspect Muhammad, 'I am very sick, can you cover for me?' and Muhammad came to the hotel to continue working. It was recorded that he went outside for food due to the discomfort from the odor caused by the fumigation of room 101 next to the reception at night and locked the hotel's main door.
THE FAMILY WAITED 7 MINUTES FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN The indictment states that the Bocek family went to the hospital the day before due to complaints of nausea and vomiting, received treatment, and left the hospital, but their discomfort continued to worsen on the night of the incident. For this reason, the victims called an ambulance, and victim Servet went down to the hotel lobby to take his critically ill daughter Masal to the ambulance, but he could not open the door because it was locked. It was noted that victim Servet tried to break the hotel door by throwing some objects at it but could not open it, and they waited for about 7 minutes for the door to open, unable to reach the ambulance waiting at the door. In the end, it was stated that the 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 in this way. The indictment reported that the victim children Masal Böcek and Kadir Muhammet Böcek died the same night, and that the mother Çiğdem Böcek passed away the next day, followed by the father Servet Böcek three days later.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HARMFUL GASES REACHED THE UPPER FLOORS It was recorded that the 3 foreign complainants, Mustafa Taamart, Reda Fakhrı, and Ayoub Hamraouı, who stayed at the hotel and came to Istanbul for tourism, came to the hospital for treatment and were discharged. The indictment stated that room 101, where fumigation was performed, and room 202, where the victims stayed, were directly above and below each other, and it was concluded that there was air passage from the wooden cabinet doors inside the rooms, and therefore, it was assessed that the harmful gases resulting from the fumigation reached the upper floors where the victims were located.
The indictment emphasized that fumigation was carried out in the hotel without any technical and medical precautions, and that there was no personnel available to intervene in emergencies, and that the hotel's main door was locked, delaying the deceased family's access to help. Additionally, it was noted that the owner of DSS Pest Control, suspect Serkan Kışı, operated without permission and authorization, despite having a personal applicator certificate, and that the DSS company he owned was not an authorized biocidal product application workplace by the Provincial Health Directorate. It was stated that the suspect carried out this application, which led to the poisoning incident, without permission, and that the suspect Doğan Cağferoğlu, who was an employee of the company without a biocidal product applicator certificate, performed fumigation in an unconscious, irregular, and uncertified manner, and that the hotel officials were responsible for ensuring that the fumigation was carried out in a manner that would not harm human health.
The indictment stated that the incident was predictable, preventable, and controllable, and that it occurred due to the failure to take necessary administrative and technical measures, thus expressing that the hotel management was at fault.
22 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OF PRISON SENTENCE REQUESTED FOR 5 SUSPECTS In the prepared indictment, it was requested that suspects Serkan Kışı, Zeki Kışı, Doğan Cağferoğlu, Hakan Oğlak, and Muhammad Moeen Ud Din Chishti be sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison for 'causing the death of multiple people with conscious negligence', with each receiving 2 years and 8 months. It was requested that suspect Rüstemsha Batyrov be sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison for 'causing the death of multiple people with negligence'.