Turkey hotel stages fake terror attack
Six weeks after Tunisia beach massacre, staff parade with pretend weapons and douse guest in liquid labeled ‘fuel’
Staff at a Turkish hotel staged a fake terrorist attack last week as part of its entertainment program, parading around the pool complex in traditional Arab dress and carrying fake weapons.
The staff of the five-star Grand Yazici Mares hotel, in the southwestern resort town Icmeler, organized the August 6 pretend-attack as part of a Hollywood-themed entertainment program, but not all tourists realized that the event was staged, British media reported.
The incident came six weeks after a gunman killed 38 people, mostly British tourists, at a hotel in the Tunisian town of Sousse. The Islamic State took responsibility for the Sousse attack.
Jason Pythian, a hotel guest from Britain, said a staff member doused him in liquid from a container labeled “fuel” and then took out a lighter as if to set him on fire.
“I jumped up, not knowing what on Earth was going on. It was disgusting to try and make light of Tunisia in that way,” Pythian told the Sun.
“There were loads of British people round the pool, and suddenly everyone became terrified,” he continued.
Only when the guests ran to the hotel manager were they informed that the incident had been a joke. They were told that they should contact their travel representatives if they had complaints.
“Obviously the staff knew what they were doing and were trying to ease the tensions of people at the hotel by having a joke,” Pythian said. “But it was absolutely disgusting to try and make light of Tunisia in that way. Thirty British people died in that attack.”
Pythian paid close to $7,800 for a 12-day all-inclusive trip for his family to celebrate his father’s 70th birthday.
UK vacation booking site Jet2holidays apologized Tuesday for the offense to guests.
“The hotel management have assured us it was never their intention to cause any offence or upset with their entertainment program,” a spokesperson said.
“This was a Hollywood-themed poolside show, which included the characters Rambo and Superman, and is always well received by the hotel’s residents. The management now understands some of the costumes may have caused offense and will no longer use these in their shows,” the travel site representative added.
The hotel also apologized for the incident. “We are sorry and have apologized to our tour operators in the UK,” a hotel spokesperson said.
