10.02.2026 14:28
Aida Alexander Oliviera, a Portuguese national who came to Turkey from Switzerland for cosmetic surgery, died after the operation at a clinic in Şişli; the autopsy determined the cause of death as internal bleeding and a clot in the lung vessels. The young girl's father said, "Right now our pain is so deep that we wouldn't want anyone, including you, to experience such a pain."
Aida Alexander Oliviera, of Portuguese descent, arrived in Turkey from Switzerland on March 1, 2024, for cosmetic surgery. Oliviera, who met with the doctor she contacted via social media on the same day at a clinic in Şişli, underwent liposuction and fat injection to her hips at a private hospital in Balat. After returning to her hotel, Oliviera fell ill five days later. She was treated at the doctor's clinic and passed away on March 7.
FORENSIC MEDICINE: VESSEL RUPTURE Following the incident, an autopsy was performed at the Forensic Medicine Institution, which determined that the woman died due to internal bleeding caused by a large vessel rupture following liposuction and fat injection to the hips, as well as a blockage of the pulmonary vessels by a clot. While the investigation initiated after her death is ongoing, it was stated that an assessment regarding whether the doctor was at fault is also continuing. It was claimed that the cousin who came to Istanbul for identification after the death provided a statement, and instead of a sworn translator, a person directed by the doctor acted as the translator.
"SHE COULDN'T ANSWER OUR CALLS" Her mother, Antonio Serafim de Freitas Ribeiro, said, "In March, it will be 2 years. Our only child, we lost our daughter after a surgical operation in Turkey at the age of 22. Our daughter was going to meet with a doctor from Turkey through the recommendation and mediation of a friend who had previously undergone surgery with that doctor. After the examinations, the doctor told her that he could perform the desired liposuction surgery. He said they could schedule an appointment for a later date. They agreed for October, but the surgery took place in March. She flew to Turkey at the end of February and had the surgery on March 2. The next day, she felt very unwell. For this reason, she stayed at the clinic where she had the surgery for two nights, then went to her hotel and went every day for dressing checks. On Thursday, the day she was supposed to return to Switzerland, she didn't feel well. She couldn't call us, she couldn't answer our calls, we unfortunately didn't know anything. Around noon, her friend came to our house and informed us. She learned from the doctor that our daughter was not well and needed to be taken to the hospital, and after that, we heard nothing, but when our daughter passed away, we learned through a message that my little girl was no longer alive, that she had passed away," she said.
"I TRUST TURKISH JUSTICE" Her father, Eduarda Amelia Assunçao de Oliveira, stated, "Looking at the case, it is very difficult to make an assessment, but there are responsible parties, and these responsible individuals need to be found. I trust Turkish justice; our lawyers will do their best in court to resolve this case and prevent such cases in the future. She was our daughter, but tomorrow or the day after, it could be your child. Our pain is so deep right now that we do not want anyone, including you, to experience such pain. We want justice to be served as soon as possible; this is our only wish. On March 7, it will be 2 years since our daughter's death; we lost our daughter at the age of 22, and now she would have been 24. We are taking this step for her to rest in peace, we want the case to progress, and we seek justice. We hope we are on the right path. Solutions will be found, the case will conclude, justice will be served, and we will rest in peace because justice will have been served," he expressed.
"WE BELIEVE A DIFFERENT NEGLIGENCE BY THE DOCTOR CAUSED THIS SITUATION" Lawyer Fatih Bulut stated, "In 2024, Aida made an agreement with a doctor in Switzerland for a cosmetic operation and purchased a package. The package included a cosmetic operation for 10,000 Swiss Francs, including plane tickets and a week's accommodation in Turkey, with a contract signed for a minor operation. Aida arrived in Turkey on March 1. The operation took place on March 2. The doctor stated that the operation was successfully completed. Aida was then placed in a hotel. On the fifth day of the operation, Aida fell ill in her hotel room and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. After being admitted to the hospital, she passed away. This is how the process began. We believe that there was negligence on the part of the doctor during this process, and that the circumstances leading to Aida's death were caused by either the materials used or a different negligence by the doctor," he said.
"WE ARE WAITING FOR THE REPORT TO BE PRESENTED BY THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATOR DOCTOR" Lawyer Fatih Bulut, stating that the investigation process has been ongoing for 2 years, said, "The investigation process has been ongoing for about 2 years, but the family is very upset because the Ministry of Justice has not yet granted permission for the investigation. The reason is that nearly 2 years have passed since their daughter's death. The family is of Portuguese descent living in Switzerland. They cannot accept that the investigation process in Turkey has taken this long when they compare the system there with the legal system in Turkey. The system in Turkey is as follows: since the doctor serves as a public employee, the Ministry to which he is affiliated must grant permission for the investigation. The process of granting this permission has been somewhat stalled. A preliminary investigator doctor has just been appointed. At this stage, we are waiting for the report to be presented by the doctor. After that, we hope that with the Ministry granting permission for the investigation, the criminal proceedings will begin quickly and that the process will be completed fairly," he stated.
"WE WANT THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS TO BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE" Lawyer Fatih Bulut, noting that Aida fell ill on the fifth day after the operation, said, "Aida had her operation the day after she arrived in Turkey at the hospital directed by the doctor. On the fifth day, she fell ill. She reported her condition to the reception. She was quickly taken to the hospital by ambulance. Unfortunately, she passed away at the end of the fifth day. She was the only child of her family.
Long years after a prolonged treatment, she was born into the world. Raising, nurturing, and taking care of a child is not easy. Due to the unfortunate death of their child, whom they cherished, as a result of such a simple operation, both they and we believe that the doctor at least had some negligence, and this negligence led to the death. The family is also waiting for justice. The family is a foreign family living in Switzerland. They entrusted their daughter to Turkey, but unfortunately, their daughter passed away. "At the very least, we hope that the investigation process regarding this entrusted matter will be completed as soon as possible, and that the negligent doctor or other individuals will be tried quickly, and if there are any negligence, we hope they will be punished accordingly," they stated.
"THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IS THE STATEMENT TAKEN BY A TRANSLATOR GUIDED BY THE DEFENDANT" Lawyer Enes Osman Taşer stated, "We are looking into the case regarding the death of a Swiss citizen of Portuguese descent who came to Turkey for a cosmetic operation. There are many suspicious events in this case. The main point we want to emphasize is the bringing of the deceased's relative to the Forensic Medicine for identification. Here, the cousin comes. The cousin says: "Yes, this is Aida." Then they take her to the police station. The most important point is here. We believe that the statement is taken from that cousin as a result of the defendant guiding her; she says: "We are not complaining." She has no such right, and besides, the woman knows English, German, and Portuguese. She does not know any other language. The most important point is that the statement is taken by a translator guided by the defendant, not a sworn translator. However, Turkish justice is a bit slow, but the Republic of Turkey is always 18 years old. We hope that those who are guilty will be punished for this," he said.