Tourist 'beaten up by resort worker' on beach in turkey after refusing to pay

THE FIGHT BROKE OUT ON DAMLATAS BEACH IN THE ALANYA DISTRICT OF ANTALYA 23:36, 20 May 2025 A holidaymaker was assaulted by a resort worker on a popular Turkish beach after opting not to hire

a sunbed, according to reports. The altercation took place on Damlatas Beach in the Alanya district of Antalya and unfolded before a crowd of holidaymakers. The tourist had been soaking up

the sun when he enquired about the cost of hiring a sun lounger from a resort employee. Upon finding the rental price too steep, the tourist chose to lay his belongings on the sand instead

of using a sunbed. This led to the resort worker demanding that he remove his items and vacate the area, which escalated into a brawl. The incident was captured on video, showing a group of

men attacking a man in swimwear who is knocked down and beaten as he tries to rise from the sand. Onlookers, some reclining on towels, appeared stunned by the sudden eruption of violence.

READ MORE: Police are assessing whether to investigate Gary Lineker's social media postREAD MORE: When could UK passport holders be able to use e-gates in EU? Following the incident,

Alanya District Governor Fatih Ürkmezer announced the closure of the sunbed operation, reports the Mirror. "Judicial and administrative procedures regarding the attack on a tourist

that occurred in a beach business in Alanya in recent days, which does not reflect our city and our understanding of tourism, have been initiated immediately," he stated to the press,

expressing concern over the potential negative impact on the region's tourism caused by the fight and its footage. "Approaches that are contrary to the understanding of hospitality

of both our city and our country will not be tolerated in Alanya, one of the cities where tourism first began in Turkey." Business owner Serhan Koçaroğlu released a statement to the

media detailing his account of the altercation. He maintained that the fracas took place beyond the confines of his establishment's beach area and that the man who was assaulted had

instigated the confrontation. Mr Koçaroğlu further clarified that the individual involved was a Russian tourist, not British as some reports had incorrectly stated. "A Russian

tourist, under the influence of alcohol, threw a sunbed at our Turkish customer sitting in a lodge on our beach. When I went to intervene, I was physically attacked by the tourist in

question," Mr Koçaroğlu explained. Article continues below "The scuffle that broke out when some citizens and Turkish customers on the beach reacted after they saw me being

beaten was recorded. There is no footage of the beginning of the incident. Also, it is not legally possible to have security cameras on the beach." Mr Koçaroğlu also mentioned his

decision to refrain from involving the police post-incident, citing concerns over tarnishing Alanya's reputation, as reported by Milliyet. The sunbed skirmish marks the inaugural

significant lounger-related event to hit the headlines this summer, signalling the start of what may be a series of similar occurrences as families flock to pools and beaches across southern

Europe in search of sun-soaked leisure.