Death of a British national abroad in suspicious circumstances

As well as the support which we can offer if someone dies from natural causes, we can also suggest the best way to raise any concerns with the local authorities if there is evidence of someone dying in suspicious circumstances.

Basic information

We can also offer basic information about the local police system and legal system, including any legal aid that is available.

If required, we can provide lists of local lawyers and interpreters (although we do not pay for either) and, where possible, details of support groups.

In all cases where you, as next of kin, have concerns about the circumstances surrounding the death, we suggest you get professional legal advice.

Can't investigate ourselves

We cannot investigate deaths ourselves and, in many countries, investigating authorities and the courts will not answer enquiries, including from our own staff. If this is the case, it is very important to consider appointing a local lawyer who can look after your interests in court and follow any trial for you.

Standards vary

We will consider making appropriate representations to the local authorities if there are concerns that the investigation is not being carried out in line with local procedures or if there are justified complaints about discrimination against the person who has died or their family. The standard of investigative procedures and expertise varies greatly across the world.

Meeting family representatives

Consular staff in London are available to meet family representatives. They will contact the next of kin if the investigating authorities tell us about any new developments. Where possible, if the next of kin visits the country where the person died during the early stages of the investigation and initial court hearings, our staff there may be able to meet them.

Bereavement

There are a number of organisations in the UK that can help bereaved families and friends come to terms with a death, whether the death was natural or otherwise. Some, such as Support after murder and manslaughter, can help you face the problems and difficulties that arise from death overseas under suspicious circumstances.

We also have a leaflet called Victims of crime abroad  [PDF 329KB, new window] which you may also find helpful. You can find details on our travel website under 'Our publications'.

If the person who died was travelling with a tour company, the company will often contact the next of kin themselves. If the death of a British national in Turkey is reported to us, and their next of kin is not present we will ask the UK police to tell the next of kin as soon as possible. If the next of kin is not in the UK, we will ask our consular colleagues where they are to do this. We will do everything we can to make sure that as next of kin, you do not hear about the death first from the media, although we cannot always influence this. In exceptional circumstances, to act quickly this may mean having to tell you about the death over the phone. We do not release the name of someone who has died to the media before we have told the next of kin.

Consular staff in London can pass on to us the next of kin’s wishes about dealing with the body. We will do our best to make sure that these wishes are carried out. However, post-mortems in Turkey are ruled by the Public Prosecutor in line with the law and without the consultation of the next of kin.

If you want we can tell you the cost of local burial. However, cremation facilities are not available in Turkey.

We cannot pay any burial, cremation or repatriation expenses ourselves or settle any debts, we can help transfer money from friends and relatives in the UK to pay any necessary costs. If you want us to, we can provide list of local and international funeral directors. If an English speaking firm is not available, we can help you with the arrangements.

All deaths must be registered in the country where the person died. We can advise you how to do this. You will need documents about you and the person who has died, including for example, the full name date of birth and passport number of the person who has died (please see section about how to register a death for further details).

In the UK there are a number of organisations, which can support and help bereaved families and friends to understand their grief and come to the terms with their loss. Useful websites include www.curusebereavement care.org.uk and www.samaritans.org.

• Your Tour Operator in conjunction with your insurance company will arrange repatriation of the deceased to the United Kingdom. A member of the family can appoint an international funeral company to arrange repatriation. Local burial is possible. Some cemeteries have reserved areas for Christian burial although not all.

• The British Consulate in Antalya, Izmir or Istanbul or the British Embassy in Ankara can prepare the documentation required for repatriation purposes.

• If death is caused as the result of an accident, where liability is implicated, or in suspicious circumstances e.g. suicide, murder or attack, the Public Prosecutor may rule that an autopsy be carried out.

• The Public Prosecutor represents the law and as such his ruling is final.  In nearly all cases autopsies are conducted by the Forensic Departments.  If additional analysis is required, samples may also be sent to the Istanbul Forensic Department.

• The deceased is then available for repatriation.  The Forensic Department will advise the Public Prosecutor and the local funeral undertaker of your insurance company.  The final autopsy report can take several months to be completed, however an interim autopsy report is usually issued.

• Organs are only permanently removed from the deceased at the request of NOK, or if the deceased carries an Organ Doner Card.  This does not adversely effect repatriation.

• Turkey issues a death certificate, which is multilingual.  This is likely to take a few days upon application, providing suitable documents are provided by the NOK i.e. burial permission and the interim death certificate etc. No charge is made for this service.  The death certificates do not give details of the cause of death, as would be the case in the UK.  You may wish to register the death at the British Consulate/Embassy, which will provide you with a death certificate issued by UK authority. There is a fee for this service. Registering a death is £ 92.00 and issuing a certified copy of Death certificate is £ 59.00. Registration takes up to three weeks. The local burial permission document is also required.

• Consular Posts in Turkey are not always informed of the details of individual post mortems.


This leaflet has been prepared by the British Embassy in Ankara for the convenience of enquirers.  Although all care has been taken in it's production, neither Her Majesty's Government nor any Consular Official in the British Embassy in Ankara take any responsibility for it's precise accuracy or for the consequences of any action taken in accordance with it's contents.

June 2008