Newsroom
A summer getaway turned violent on a beach in Alanya, Turkey, when a tourist was viciously attacked after refusing to pay for a sunbed, an incident that’s drawn widespread outrage and prompted swift action from local authorities.
The altercation happened on Friday at Damlatas Beach in the Antalya district, a popular destination for sun-seekers. The tourist reportedly chose not to rent a sunbed due to the high price and instead left his personal belongings on the sand before going for a swim.
That’s when trouble started. According to reports in the Daily Mail, a beach employee demanded the man move his things. When the tourist refused, a heated exchange quickly turned violent.
A video circulating on social media shows the employee punching and kicking the tourist in broad daylight, with horrified beachgoers yelling and trying to intervene. The tourist is seen falling to the sand as the blows continue. Two men eventually step in to break up the fight before the recording cuts off.
The footage triggered a firestorm online, with viewers condemning the attack and demanding accountability.
Alanya’s district governor, Fatih Urkmezer, responded swiftly. He announced that the business involved has been shut down and that both judicial and administrative investigations are underway.
“This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in Alanya, one of Turkey’s premier tourist destinations,” Urkmezer said in remarks reported by Hurriyet. “Such actions go against the spirit of hospitality that defines our city and country.”
The owner of the beach business, Serhan Kocaroglu, offered a different version of events. Speaking to Turkish media, he claimed the tourist, allegedly Russian, was drunk and had thrown a deckchair at another beachgoer before the fight broke out.
Kocaroglu said he himself was attacked while trying to calm the situation and insisted the videos only show the end of the altercation. “I regret the negative image this has caused for Alanya,” he said, adding that while he didn’t file a complaint to avoid damaging local tourism, he reserves the right to take legal action over what he called “baseless” media coverage.
Turkish authorities have not confirmed the tourist’s nationality, and no further details have been released about his condition.
