Northern Irish man dies, two others critical after dental treatment trip to Turkey

Northern Irish man dies, two others critical after dental treatment trip to Turkey
A local Belfast MP has described the tragedy as 'absolutely heartbreaking'.
2 min read
05 October, 2020
In 2017, up to 700,000 people visited Turkey for medical procedures and operations [Anadolu]

A Northern Irish man died and two of his companions were left in a critical condition after receiving dental treatment during a trip to the Turkish resort town of Marmaris, The Guardian reported.

The trio, who were described by their local MP as "three fit and healthy young lads" had arrived in the Mediterranean country to undergo teeth whitening, according to sources close to them.

Earlier reports claimed that they had taken medication linked to the procedure before they were discovered unconscious in an apartment they were staying at.

It is now understood that the medication was not the cause of the death or the injuries.

The dead man has been named as Richard Molloy, 33. His two friends, Declan Carson and Aaron Callaghan, were in comas but their condition has since improved.

All three are from the Ardoyne district of north Belfast, with two travelling on Irish passports and the other on a British passport.

One of the men's families is reportedly travelling via Liverpool airport to be with their relative, while arrangements are being put in place to return Molloy’s body home.

When reached for comment by The New Arab, the UK foreign office did not say whether authorities had opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Molloy’s death or what caused his companions to be in critical condition.

"We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Turkey and we are in contact with the Turkish authorities," a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said.

An Irish government spokesperson confirmed that they were aware of the case and were providing consular assistance.

John Finucane, Sinn Fein MP for North Belfast, said the incident was "absolutely heartbreaking", adding "It is just a tragedy now that there is a family going to have to make plans to bring their son home to bury him."

Turkey has a booming medical and dental tourism industry. In 2017, up to 700,000 people visited the country for such purposes, according to the Istanbul International Health Tourism Association.

A body representing Turkish travel agencies said it hoped that by 2023, 2 million health tourists would visit the country annually.

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