Death of Brit, 20, still unanswered as key info being kept 'in the hands of Turkish authorities', coroner says
31 December 2024, 16:08
The grieving family of a 20-year-old Brit found dead in Turkey are being denied answers about their loved ones’ death amid a legal impasse with Turkish authorities, a UK-based coroner has said.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Tyler Kerry, 20, was discovered unresponsive at the hotel he was staying at near Lara Beach in Antalya.
His family, from Basildon in Essex, have alleged that he was murdered.
Michelle Brown, the area coroner for Essex, has said she was "wholly dependent" on evidence obtained by Mr Kerry's family's lawyers.
But she has claimed she is facing a significant obstacle as “the law in Turkey does not recognise the coroner's court in the United Kingdom”.
A post-mortem examination of Mr Kerry’s body, which was brought back to East London, gave a provisional cause of death as multiple injuries and blunt force trauma.
Read more: Blinken: US and Turkey have ‘broadment agreement’ on what’s next for Syria
"We are liaising closely with lawyers that are instructed by the family for them to do reciprocal contacts over in Turkey, because the law in Turkey does not recognise the coroner's court in the United Kingdom," Ms Brown said.
"We are liaising closely with lawyers that are instructed by the family for them to do reciprocal contacts over in Turkey, because the law in Turkey does not recognise the coroner's court in the United Kingdom," Ms Brown said.
Now, she is "in the hands of the Turkish authorities" as she scrambles to get to the bottom of the young man’s death.
Ms Brown said: "It's quite complicated, but we are simply in the hands of the Turkish authorities, who will not engage with the coroners' service at all," Ms Brown added.
Mr Kerry had been visiting Turkey with his partner Molly, as well as his grandparents and other relatives.He died within 36 hours of arriving in the country in what was his first family holiday abroad.
The rest of the family were reportedly drinking at the hotel bar in the early hours of November 29 before Mr Kerry, who had fallen asleep on a sofa, disappeared.
He was later discovered at the bottom of the lift shaft in the hotel basement, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Kerry family has spoken out about how they have been left in the dark about the 20-year-old’s death.
Alex Price, his uncle, has said Mr Kerry was a "lovely young man", noting that he and Molly were considering moving in together.
"They were very settled… He was quite a mature young man for his age, very compassionate and kind, caring towards his family members and his younger siblings,” he said.
Mr Price set up a gofundme to help cover funeral costs, raking in more than £8,000 in donations.
He wrote: “This fundraiser will help us to lay Tyler to rest in a fitting and respectful way as soon as we are able to and for that we will never be able to adequately express the depth of our gratitude as a family. “
It will now remain open for anybody that would like to support our ongoing legal battle to uncover the truth. We are now working with Justice Abroad who are representing the family. This is just the beginning, let us stand together to achieve justice for Tyler.”
The family is still awaiting a final autopsy from the Turkish authorities, which is expected to be delivered in a few weeks' time.
A hotel spokesperson said staff had been providing support to the family but added that they cannot comment further as a police investigation is ongoing.
