Erol T., who was living on the streets, was hospitalized due to alcohol poisoning. Sometime later, his older brother was shocked to receive a phone call saying, "Your brother has died, please come to identify the body." After identifying a severely disfigured body as his brother, a funeral was even held for Erol T. However, it was later revealed in July that Erol T., who had been officially recorded as deceased, was actually alive!
In Kadıköy, Istanbul, Erol T., who was presumed to have died from alcohol poisoning and was buried, turned out to have been mistaken for someone else. His incredible story, resembling a movie plot, came to light through official statements.
In February of last year, Erol T. fell ill after consuming alcohol on the street and was taken to the hospital.
After being discharged, he fell ill again on the same day and passed away. Due to a misidentification by his brother, he was confused with another man. In his statement at the police station, Erol T. explained that he had been living on the streets and did not have a fixed address.
On the day of the incident, he said a man was selling cologne in the afternoon: "I bought some cologne. Then I sat by Kurbağalıdere and drank it. No one forced me, and no one assaulted me. I drank the cologne of my own free will. I don't remember anything after that. When I came to, I was in the hospital and found out I had been receiving treatment for a month. I'm fine now. I have no complaints about anyone regarding the incident."
Erdoğan T., who had identified his brother's body at the Forensic Medicine Institute, said that Erol T. had long suffered from psychological issues, had been receiving treatment, and had been living in public places. "He didn't have a phone, so I hadn't heard from him in a while. My uncle informed me that my brother had been found dead in a park. When I went to the police station, they confirmed the same. I didn't suspect anyone of being responsible for his death. The police and forensic authorities told me the deceased was my brother. I believed the person they showed me was indeed him."
He stated that they retrieved the body and buried it next to their father in their hometown of Aksaray: "Two weeks later, a security guard from a bank called. He said there was someone in terrible condition with him. When I spoke to him, I realized it was my brother. During that time, he had been staying in the canteen of a hospital. When he tried to get examined, they told him, 'You're dead,' and that's how we discovered the mistake. We submitted a petition to the Bakırköy Courthouse to correct the error. We filed a lawsuit to amend the population registry. My brother is not dead," he said.
