Shock in Istanbul: Restaurant employees arrested after the death of Dutch teenagers
Two Dutch brothers, aged 15 and 17, were found dead in a hotel room in Istanbul after feeling unwell following food and drink consumed at local restaurants. The boys were on holiday with their father in the Turkish capital when the tragedy occurred on August 20.
According to Turkish media, the brothers ate at two different restaurants on a busy street in the Taksim area before returning to the hotel. After feeling unwell, they preferred to stay in the room. The next day, hotel staff found their bodies after the Dutch guests did not leave as scheduled.
As for their father, who was traveling with them, he was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later improved. He said he did not eat at restaurants, and it remains unclear why he also suffered a health setback. Some estimates suggest that he may have experienced acute trauma after the sudden death of his sons.
Turkish police arrested four people in connection with the case – believed to be the owners and employees of the restaurants where the brothers dined. After the investigation, three of them were released under conditions while the fourth was placed under house arrest, and investigations are still ongoing.
Samples of food and drink have been sent to the forensic institute in Turkey for examination. The official cause of death has not yet been determined, but suspicions revolve around food poisoning or food contamination as the focus of the investigation.