08.06.2026 17:41
In Izmir Bornova, a 2-year-old baby named Mercan was severely injured and hospitalized after hot melted butter was poured over her at a famous kebab restaurant where she was dining with her family. During months of painful treatment, the unfortunate baby lost her ability to speak and suffered permanent damage to her body. Her mother, Gülçin Demirkol, is demanding a ban on 'butter shows' in restaurants and calling for the punishment of the company's managers.
In the incident that occurred on September 14, 2025, at the famous döner chain Baydöner branch, Gülçin Demirkol and her family went to the restaurant for a weekend meal. After placing their orders, a waiter approached the family, who were sitting at the first table near the kitchen, to serve İskender döner. As the waiter extended the handle of a pan filled to the brim with frothing, boiling, and sizzling butter right in front of the mother's plate, the handle suddenly broke. The hot oil from the overturned pan spilled over 2-year-old Mercan baby, who was sitting on the right side of her mother.
SCREAMS OF PAIN STIRRED THE RESTAURANT
Great panic ensued in the restaurant upon the little girl's screams of pain. The unfortunate baby, who received initial first aid at the shopping mall's infirmary, was later taken by taxi to the nearest hospital, Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, and placed under treatment. Examinations revealed that little Mercan had deep second-degree burns on her left elbow, left waist area, and the back of her leg, extending halfway.
MOMENT OF INCIDENT ON CAMERA
Meanwhile, the incident was also recorded by the restaurant's security camera. The footage shows the pan with hot butter being brought to the table, then as it was about to be placed on the plate, the pan handle breaks and the hot oil spills onto the little child. The panicked moments following the incident were also captured by the camera.
"THEY SCRAPED WITH A RAZOR AT EVERY DRESSING, SHE STOPPED SPEAKING"
Recalling the horrific days with tears, mother Gülçin Demirkol emphasized that kitchen equipment was not inspected and said her daughter suffered severe pain. Mother Demirkol said, "Mercan was only 2 years old. We had to go to the hospital 3-4 times a day. Every day, at every dressing change, they scraped my daughter's burned areas with a razor. She suffered immense pain. She had just started speaking; after that process, her speech completely stopped. She could only lie on her stomach in bed for 3-4 months. Her treatment is still ongoing. In certain areas, pieces of tissue called 'keloid' in medical terms have formed. Doctors have said that a cosmetic operation or surgical intervention may be needed in the future."
"WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS FOR 15-20 YEARS"
The grieving mother, who claimed the company showed no interest in them after the incident, said, "Only that night a gentleman named İbrahim, the Aegean Regional Manager, called me. He clearly told me, 'Look, we haven't been able to find a remedy or solution for this butter spillage issue for 15-20 years.' We waited until the next day for someone to apologize or wish us well, but no one came. Previously, at another branch, they spilled it on a citizen's coat, and they solved the matter by buying a new coat. So, is human life that cheap? Don't perform this show; go spill the butter in the kitchen."
"WE ARE DEVASTATED BOTH PHYSIOLOGICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY"
Stating that the trauma shook the entire family and that she had to seek psychological support, Gülçin Demirkol said, "My daughter was attending daycare; she could express herself. Now, after staying home for 3 months, she cannot express herself at all. She only says 'come, mom, dad, open food.' We are not only physiologically but also psychologically broken. Whenever we use the road to Ege University in Bornova, İzmir, my daughter points to her leg and arm and says 'mom, ow, done.' That's the only sentence she can form. As a mother, I cry every day, I seek help. While striving 'how can I support my child, how can I make her feel better,' I always blamed myself, I wished I hadn't gone to that company."
OUTRAGE AT THE COURT'S RULING: THESE SHOWS MUST BE COMPLETELY BANNED
Mother Demirkol, noting that she filed a criminal complaint immediately after the incident and the criminal case concluded last week, said the court held only the waiter and the manager responsible, imposing judicial fines of 7,500 TL and 11,200 TL respectively. Rebelling against the decision, the mother concluded her words as follows:
"Actually, the waiter is not at fault. Perhaps, as seen in the video, the pan handle was loose while he was swinging it; he might have 50% fault, but doesn't this company have occupational health and safety experts? Don't the manager or senior executives inspect the equipment? I think they don't. I want the company executives, not the waiter, to be punished. I request the authorities: let them not perform such shows in restaurants; these demonstrations should be completely banned. This pain came out of a 2-year-old baby; let it not happen to other children. If my daughter had been in a high chair that day, it could have spilled from her head downward. It could also have fallen onto a baby lying in a stroller. My daughter will carry these scars for life; let no other lives be harmed."