Turkish authorities have admitted they have no explanation for how the heart of a 28-year-old British woman, Beth Martin, went missing after she died under mysterious circumstances during a family trip to Istanbul.
Beth, from Portsmouth, began feeling unwell on the flight to Turkey, initially believing it to be food poisoning.
Her condition worsened rapidly after landing, and she was rushed to Marmara University Pendik Education and Research Hospital.
She died the next day, April 29, 2025.
The Turkish Ministry of Health has since stated that Beth died of cardiac arrest due to multiple organ failure, but the exact cause remains unclear.
They also claim she did not undergo any surgical procedures at the hospital, raising serious questions after a British autopsy later revealed her heart had been removed.
Beth’s family says they were kept in the dark about the severity of her condition, and her husband, Luke Martin, was even accused by Turkish authorities of poisoning her—an allegation that was later dropped.
According to a friend and GoFundMe organiser, Robert Hammond, Luke was blocked from seeing his wife during treatment and only learned of her death when Turkish police arrived at their hotel.
He was also forced to arrange and fund Beth’s body’s repatriation after officials allegedly pressured the family to waive their right to sue.
Concerns over medical negligence have intensified amid claims that Beth may have been given penicillin despite Luke warning medics of her allergy.
The family says Beth was transferred between hospitals without adequate communication or consent, and delays in paperwork obstructed their travel insurer’s efforts to move her to a private facility.
Wellness influencer Ellie Grey, a close friend who flew to Turkey to support the family, shared disturbing details of their experience, including seeing Beth with perfectly styled hair after doctors claimed they performed 45 minutes of CPR. She also recounted being asked to help lift Beth’s body into a coffin at the morgue.
The hospital is now under investigation for potential negligence.
Meanwhile, the Martins face an agonising wait for a UK coroner’s inquest that may finally provide answers.
Luke, reflecting on the ordeal, described the past weeks as the “worst and most traumatic” of his life.
“Hold your loved ones a little longer,” he urged in a heartfelt social media post.
