Irish tourist fights an entire neighbourhood in Istanbul

Irish tourist on left in white, gears up to defend himself against more locals in Aksaray

NEWS/TURKEY

An Irishman on holiday in Turkey has become an internet sensation after he inadvertently ended up in the centre of a huge brawl in Aksaray, central Istanbul. The middle-aged man managed to keep a score of men at bay as they rushed to attack him for no good reason.

The incident, which took place at the beginning of August, was captured on CCTV and shows the tourist visiting a local shop to buy a bottle of water. As he pulls open the well-stocked fridge, lots of bottles accidently fall out.

An angry shopkeeper, armed with a wooden bat, then strikes the tourist, who hits back. Very quickly the fight spills on to the street and escalates. In shocking scenes, other shopkeepers and local men, some with poles, stools and other blunt items, try to attack the unarmed tourist, said to be a professional boxer.

See the clip here.

In the ensuing fight, the plucky tourist takes all the hits in his stride, and punches and kicks his attackers back, flooring one man with a single punch. The Turk is seen staggering away, with Turkish TV reporting that he lost two teeth following the punch.

According to a news report by Show TV, following the fight the tourist and the local men visited a local police station where they each made a complaint about the behaviour of the other.

Since being made public a few days ago, the two-and-half-minute footage of the fight has been widely broadcast on Turkish TV and reposted by tens of thousands on social media. Turks have universally criticised the tourist’s attackers for their shocking behaviour, many claiming they had ‘shamed Turkey’, while others praised the bravery of the Irishman, dubbing him a 'hero'.