Suspected street food poisoning kills mum, two children in Istanbul

Istanbul: Two children and their mother have died, with the father left fighting for his life after eating street food at a popular Istanbul tourist site, Turkish officials and media said Friday.

The family reportedly fell ill on Wednesday after eating several popular street food dishes at a restaurant in the waterside neighbourhood of Ortakoy, at the foot of a bridge spanning the Bosphorus.

The family, who were staying in the Fatih district fell sick soon after and were rushed to hospital, but the two children, aged six and three, died, Istanbul’s regional health chief Abdullah Emre Guner said on X on Thursday.

The mother and father were being treated in intensive care and an investigation had been opened, he said.

The mother died a short time later, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc wrote on X on Friday.

“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.

Some media reports said the family had eaten mussels with rice, a popular snack often sold by street vendors, as well as “kumpir” - stuffed jacket potatoes.

Other reports said they had eaten kokorec, a popular dish of grilled lamb entrails, and also mentioned Turkish Delight, saying the family was a Turkish family living in Germany who had come to Istanbul on holiday.