British Tourist Arrested in Alanya After Allegedly Spitting on Turkish Flag

British Tourist Arrested in Alanya After Allegedly Spitting on Turkish Flag

A 58-year-old British tourist has been arrested in Alanya after allegedly spitting on a Turkish flag following an argument with hotel staff.

According to Turkish news agencies DHA and IHA, the incident happened at a hotel in Alanya. The tourist reportedly had an argument with hotel employees before turning toward a Turkish flag hanging in the hotel lobby and allegedly spitting on it.

Hotel staff reported the incident to police. Officers detained the man and took him to Alanya Courthouse, where he was formally arrested on charges of insulting or degrading a symbol of the Turkish state.

He was remanded in custody and transferred to a local prison outside Alanya.

Up to Three Years in Prison

The case concerns Article 300 of the Turkish Penal Code, which makes publicly degrading the Turkish flag a criminal offence. The offence can carry a prison sentence of up to three years.

The British Embassy had not immediately issued a comment on the case.

Previous Incident Involving the Turkish Flag

This is not the first case involving a foreign tourist and the Turkish flag to attract attention in recent years.

In August 2025, Turkish prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into a tourist from Bosnia and Herzegovina after she allegedly performed a pole dance on a Turkish flagpole in Cappadocia and shared footage of the incident on social media.

The outcome of that case was not immediately clear.