A minor dispute between British tourists and local shopkeepers in a Turkish resort rapidly exploded into a shocking street fight. The dramatic brawl, which started outside a boutique on Ataturk Street, Alanya, a resort town in the Turkish Riviera, on September 1, left several people injured and forced the business to shut down.
According to local reports, a conversation between the British tourists and the shopkeeper quickly turned violent. Six Brits surrounded the shopkeeper and started to headbutt him before violently punching and kicking him. CCTV footage from the scene shows the shopkeeper sitting on the steps when the tourists are initially surrounding him and raising their voices.
Within seconds, the shopkeeper is punched and kicked to the ground, with other traders rushing over to help. It is not long before the altercation grows into a massive street brawl. To make matters worse, the British tourists then started to pick up sticks and stones from the roadside and throw them at the locals.
The traders are then seen defending themselves with umbrellas and makeshift shields. Eventually, the outnumbered Brits fled the scene into a nearby hotel.
Both sides were reported to have sustained injuries from the fight and police units were dispatched to the scene. Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, and the shop was sealed for three days for inquiries to continue.
While the CCTV footage has circulated online, there is no current explanation for the massive street fight.
The incident took place in Antalya’s Alanya district – a very popular holiday hotspot which often attracts millions of visitors, particularly from the UK and other European countries.
This is not the only violent incident involving British tourists abroad this year. In May, a violent brawl broke out between British tourists on Playa del Duque beach in Costa Adeje, Tenerife. One man was armed with a racket and eventually the men were separated by other beachgoers. The viral video attracted many amused responses, including: “Nice to go on vacation. The sea, the sand, the umbrellas – the fights!!!!”
Then, in June, a street brawl between two tourists, again in Tenerife, sparked outrage among local residents. The incident was captured on video and later shared on Instagram, showing two young men—one in a white shirt and the other bare-chested—squaring up to each other, all the while cheered on by a crowd of British tourists.