A 58-year-old British tourist has been arrested in Turkey after allegedly spitting on the Turkish national flag following an argument with hotel staff. The incident occurred at a hotel in Alanya, near Antalya, and has led to a formal criminal charge under Turkish law, highlighting the seriousness with which Turkey treats perceived insults to its national symbols.

Hotel staff reported the man to police after he reportedly spat on a flag hanging near the lobby, and he was subsequently taken to Alanya courthouse, charged with insulting a symbol of the Turkish state, and remanded in custody at a local prison. Under Article 300 of the Turkish penal code, publicly disrespecting the flag carries a potential jail sentence of up to three years. The case follows other recent incidents involving foreign tourists and the Turkish flag, including an August 2025 investigation into a tourist who pole-danced on a flagpole in Cappadocia, and comes amid a string of high-profile arrests of British nationals in Turkey this year.