A British tourist has been arrested in Turkey for allegedly spitting on the country’s flag.
According to local media reports, the 58-year-old man, who was on holiday in Alanya, near the southern resort of Antalya, got into an argument with hotel staff before allegedly turning around and spitting on a flag hanging near the lobby.
The staff reported the man to the police, who arrested him and took him to the Alanya courthouse, where he was formally arrested on charges of insulting or humiliating a symbol of the Turkish state.
He was taken into custody and taken to a local jail just outside the city.
It is unclear exactly when the incident took place.
According to Article 300 of the Turkish Penal Code, it is illegal to publicly disrespect the Turkish flag; an offense punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years.
In August 2025, prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into a foreign tourist for performing a pole dance on a Turkish flagpole in Cappadocia, which she posted on social media.
The outcome of the case was not clear.
A British tourist has been arrested in Turkey for allegedly spitting on the country’s flag (file image)
The tourist is the latest Briton to be arrested in Turkey.
Earlier this year, a young British couple was arrested after being accused of smuggling two suitcases full of cannabis into Britain.
Holly Cooper and her boyfriend Taylor Johnson, both 20, were reportedly arrested minutes after landing in Istanbul on a flight from Thailand in May.
Officers took them aside for questioning as they tried to catch their connecting flight to London.
They were then thrown into a crowded cell where Turkish thugs beat Mr Johnson, his family claimed.
After being formally arrested following a hearing, they were transferred to a prison where they may have to wait an entire year for trial.
The couple also does not have their own attorneys and will be represented by public defenders.
Desperate to help, friends have launched a GoFundMe to raise money while the couple languish in foreign cells.
If convicted, Ms. Cooper and Mr. Johnson face a minimum sentence of 10 years, but it could increase to 30 years.
