Muhammed Aras Temel, four, tragically lost his life after being found seriously unwell inside his family's car in the rural Ekinciler neighbourhood of the Mazıdağı district on Sunday. The youngster is understood to have been inside the vehicle for some time before he was discovered, according to Turkish outlet Hurriyet.
He was first taken to Mazıdağı State Hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a seizure, before being transferred to Mardin Training and Research Hospital. Despite the efforts of medics, Muhammed died.
Investigation launched
An autopsy will now be carried out as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Turkey has endured sweltering weather this summer, with temperatures climbing to around 40C in Mardin over the weekend. Last month, temperatures reached 46.1C in Antalya – the highest July temperature recorded since records began in 1930. The country has also battled a series of devastating wildfires during the hot weather.
Other tragedies
Muhammed's death is the latest in a number of tragedies involving children during periods of extreme heat in Europe and the United States this summer.
In June, four-year-old Kassim Benouali and his two-year-old brother Sadek were found unresponsive in the back of a car parked outside their grandmother's home in Carpentras, southern France.
Paying tribute to the boys, their grandmother, Fatiha, described the family's heartbreak and revealed their mother had spent the morning trying to keep them cool before temperatures soared. She said: "It's a tragedy. It was really, really hot on Monday. It was a terrible heatwave. So, my daughter Wafa took the boys to the swimming pool in the morning and then did some shopping. She then drove home with the boys who were in the car. May Allah have mercy on their souls."
