ISTANBUL, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained 21 employees of a catering firm which serves barracks in the province of Manisa on Sunday after 731 troops were hospitalized for food poisoning, local media reported.
The soldiers from the 1st Infantry Training Battalion Command were rushed to hospitals in the city of Manisa as they suffered nausea and vomiting after having chicken, soup and yoghurt for dinner, Daily Sabah said.
The incident brought Turkey's Defense Minister Fikri Isik and Commander of Land Forces Zeki Colak to Manisa late Saturday, the report said.
Speaking to reporters after visiting soldiers at a hospital, Isik said the contract with the firm had been terminated.
"We don't see a significant problem, just some of our soldiers are being kept in for observation," the minister was quoted as saying. "No one is in intensive care or has their life in danger."
A team of 12 specialists arrived in Manisa on Sunday to conduct inspections with rapid diagnostic equipment, press reports said, quoting a statement issued by the Health Ministry.
On May 23, more than 1,000 troops were hospitalized in the same military barracks after dinner and one died later.
