A 58-year-old British tourist was arrested and placed in custody in Turkey after allegedly spitting on a Turkish flag following an argument with hotel staff, according to reports from The Sun and the Daily Mail. The holidaymaker, identified by The Sun as Stephen Kerr, was staying at a resort in Turkey’s southern Antalya province when the dispute occurred.
Arrest and Court Proceedings in Alanya
According to local media reports cited by the Daily Mail, the tourist got into a heated disagreement with employees at his hotel in Alanya before turning toward a national flag hanging in the lobby and spitting on it. Outraged hotel staff detained the man and contacted local law enforcement.
Officers from the Turkish police responded to the scene, taking the tourist into custody while he was wearing luminous yellow shorts and a blue vest, as captured in photographs published by The Sun. Police transported him to the Alanya courthouse, where he required a translator to deliver his statement to a judge.
The judge formally charged the tourist with “insulting the symbols of the state’s sovereignty,” according to The Sun. Following the court hearing, authorities remanded him in custody and transferred him to the Alanya L-Type Closed Prison.
Legal Framework Under Article 300
Under Article 300 of the Turkish penal code, publicly disrespecting or insulting the Turkish flag is a criminal offense carrying a maximum jail term of three years, as reported by both outlets.
In August 2025, prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into another foreign tourist after she performed a pole dance on a Turkish flagpole in Cappadocia and posted the footage to social media, according to Daily Mail and The Sun reports.
Consular Response and British Foreign Office Statement
The exact date of the 58-year-old man’s arrest remains unclear from the available reports. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed its involvement in the case through an official statement.
“We are supporting a British man arrested in Turkey and are in contact with the authorities,” a Foreign Office spokesperson told The Sun. Simultaneously, official guidance on the British Embassy in Turkey’s website clarifies that diplomatic missions cannot secure the release of British citizens from foreign prisons.
Keep reading