Turkey: Street food probe after German mother, 2 kids die

Turkish prosecutors arrested four people on suspicion of negligent homicide after a German woman and her two children died in Istanbul, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said Friday.

Authorities have closed one of the food outlets in Istanbul's Besiktas district and taken samples from multiple locations where the family is believed to have eaten.

What do we know about the suspected street food deaths?

The family — a couple and their children aged six and three — had traveled to the city on Sunday and reportedly ate at several street vendors in the Ortakoy quarter, a busy tourist area on the Bosporus waterside.

Shortly afterward, all four fell ill with symptoms of food poisoning.

They were taken to a hospital on Wednesday but later discharged. The children died shortly after being readmitted, followed by their mother. The father remains in intensive care, according to Turkish media.

Justice Minister Tunc said on X that tests were being conducted to confirm whether the consumed food directly caused the deaths. 

"Samples have been taken from the places where the family is known to have eaten and four people.. have been taken into custody," the minister wrote. 

According to media reports, the family is thought to have eaten mussels with rice, sweets, and kokoretsi — a grilled dish made from lamb intestines — as well as stuffed potatoes.

The family, reportedly of Turkish descent and living in Germany, had been visiting Istanbul for vacation. Germany's Foreign Office confirmed they were German citizens and said it was in contact with local authorities.

The tragedy has sparked national concern in Turkey over street food safety, which is popular among residents and tourists alike, particularly in the Bosporus neighborhoods.

Edited by Sean Sinico