Overview
- Prosecutors said the family died from poisoning caused by an insecticide used at the hotel, ruling out trauma and discounting a food-borne cause.
- Earlier forensic testing detected phosphine in wipe samples from the room and in hotel towels, indicating exposure to a pesticide that releases the gas.
- No toxic residues were found in the victims’ blood, stomach contents, or the foods they ate, and inspections of eateries showed no irregularities.
- Six suspects, including the hotel owner and the pest-control company owner, remain in pretrial detention, while four others have been released; the hotel is closed.
- Authorities are also reviewing potential links to other deaths in Istanbul, including a child in April 2025 and a German student in 2024, for possible connections to similar treatments.