The Turkish flag (123rf)
The Turkish flag (123rf)

A British tourist who spat on the Turkish flag is facing up to three years in prison.

According to the British outlet The Sun on Thursday (local time), a British man believed to be Steven Kerr, 58, was arrested on suspicion of spitting on the Turkish flag.

The man got into an argument with staff while staying at a resort hotel in Turkey's southern Antalya province.

During the dispute, he reportedly spat on a Turkish flag hanging in the hotel lobby. Enraged hotel staff restrained him and called the police.

Local police responded to the resort, handcuffed the tourist and took him to a court in Alanya.

A judge formally indicted the tourist on charges of insulting a symbol of national sovereignty. The man is reportedly being held at Alanya L-Type Closed Prison.

Under Turkish law, insulting the national flag can carry a prison sentence of up to three years.

The British Embassy in Turkey states on its website that even for British citizens, it cannot secure the release of someone who has been imprisoned.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said, "We are supporting a British man who has been arrested in Turkey and are in contact with local authorities."


bbo@heraldcorp.com