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HOTEL VIOLENCE AGAINST RUSSIAN, ARMENIAN TOURISTS IN TURKEY
news.am
July 27 2010
Armenia
An Armenian tourist who plans to spend his holiday in Turkey is
offered Mediterranean beaches, five-star hotels, perfect pastime
and vivid impressions. Believe us, vivid impressions are guaranteed,
whereas the desired blue water and five-star hotels are only a dream.
The Saranjyans, who recently returned from Turkey, met with a NEWS.am
correspondent. Below is a story told by the housemother Lianna Mamayan.
"The doctor advised a rest by the sea for my younger son's health. We
decided to go to Turkey. We applied to the Tez Tour travel agency. We
preferred the Aventura-park five-star hotel in Alanya. We paid U.S.
$4,000 for four and insured ourselves. On July 6 we went to Alanya
and on our way there we knew from our companions that we were the
only family to stay at Aventura-park. I was a little worried -
I thought it would be better for us to have our nationals with us,
because we were going to Turkey.
"In short, our family went to the Aventura-park hotel. It was claimed
to be a five-star hotel. The same information was on the Internet.
However, an unbiased ranking would not even rank it among 3-star
hotels. The seashore was dirty and we knew that the sewage was flowing
into the water for swimming. To switch on the air conditioner we had
to have a deposit, the linens were dirty. We 'enjoyed our holiday'
this way until July 16, when we had an incident no tourist in any
civilized country would meet with. First of all, the male personnel
were going beyond all the bounds in dealing with women, especially
Russian women - no matter they were with their friends or even married.
"We had the impression that the hotel staff did their best to please
the hotel owner and his son. The girls they struck up acquaintance
with were seen in company with the hotel owner and his son the same
evening. Two girls from Russia, one of them an Armenian girl, were
staying at the hotel with us. The hotel staff members tried to strike
up acquaintance with them, but were turned down. On July 16, the girls
were sitting at the table in the lounge. They were working on their
laptop. Waiters approached their table and pulled the cloth off the
table so that the laptop nearly fell on the floor. The girls reproved
the waiters, but they got into an argument and told the girls to 'shut
up.' Four young men from Russia were sitting at the next table - two
of them Armenians. They tried to find out what had happened. In answer,
Turks used foul language, and there was a scuffle. The security guards
did not do anything to part the sides. All the male staffers attacked
the four boys and beat them up in everybody's presence. At last, some
of the holiday-makers interfered and parted the sides. The young men
were taken to one of the lounge bars.
"At that moment, my husband and I were coming back to the hotel
and tried to get in touch with our elder son Hovhanes. At that very
moment, Hovhanes returned to the lounge. The four young men, who had
made friends with him before, asked him to bring their mobile phones.
One of the hotel staff members hit Hovhanes with his shoulder and,
turning back to him, insulted him. Hovhanes said he was careful,
but the Turk began to push him. There was a fight, and 20 people
beat up my son. A Tatar man from Russia tried to help Hovhanes rise,
but the Turks attacked the man, beat him and broke his ribs. When
I saw Hovhanes after the scuffle, I could not recognize my son. His
face was swollen even after we washed the blood off. When my husband
Artur tried to find out what had happened, about 20 hotel staffers
took him and his friend Khachik out of the building and beat them
up. One of the staffers took out a knife, another sprayed tear gas.
"The nightmare lasted for three hours. I could not turn to anyone for
explanations. There was an Armenian woman from the United States with
us. She spoke Turkish. I asked her to talk to the hotel owner. I told
her that the hotel personnel were outraging, and we would complain.
'Who are you going to complain to? I have no problems in Alanya.
Complain to whoever you want,' the owner said. When he knew we were
from Armenia, he was filled with disgust.
"A Tez Tour agent arrived at the hotel. He could not do anything to
calm down the hotel staffers who were in the 'heat of passion.' I told
him Hovhanes needed medical aid. He had been stuck on the head. The
agent told me he could not get in touch with Armenia to specify the
insurance. He told me to get in touch with Yerevan myself. I showed
him the documents proving the insurance, but that did not help.
"Toward midnight Turkish policemen arrived and arrested the four
Russian young men, my husband and Khachik. They came to our room to
arrest Hovhanes. I thought it was a nightmare.
"I told the Turkish policeman he could not arrest my son, who was
under age. He was saying something in Turkish, moving forward to put
handcuffs on Hovhanes. I lost my nerves. I began to shout at him,
saying I would sue him and all police for illegally arresting innocent
persons, whereas those guilty were walking about the hotel. I told
him that arresting a boy under age was a crime.
"At last I told him to arrest me and my 11-year-old son because I was
not going to leave my children alone. The policeman looked at me and
left the room.
"My husband and Khachik did not stay at the police station long. The
Tez Tour agent went to the police station and talked to them, asking
them to release Artur and the other arrestees. They were released, but
the policemen tried to trump up charges against the four Russian boys.
They were charged with starting a drunken brawl. I do not know how,
but Artur and his friends persuaded the policemen to release the boys.
"I had never felt so helpless and lonely. I could not hold back my
tears after we came back. The group members asked me about what had
happened, and I told them.
"At that moment a woman said: 'They should have behaved themselves,
nothing would have happened. I have spent my holiday in Turkey for
five years, and nothing like that has ever happened to me. Let them
set normal prices in their Armenia, and I will spend my money there.
"I was stunned. There was no point in answering. But our family
decided to never visit Turkey again."
P.S. NEWS.am reminds readers that Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic
relations, and Armenian citizens are defenseless in case of any legal
or other problems.
From: A. Papazian
news.am
July 27 2010
Armenia
An Armenian tourist who plans to spend his holiday in Turkey is
offered Mediterranean beaches, five-star hotels, perfect pastime
and vivid impressions. Believe us, vivid impressions are guaranteed,
whereas the desired blue water and five-star hotels are only a dream.
The Saranjyans, who recently returned from Turkey, met with a NEWS.am
correspondent. Below is a story told by the housemother Lianna Mamayan.
"The doctor advised a rest by the sea for my younger son's health. We
decided to go to Turkey. We applied to the Tez Tour travel agency. We
preferred the Aventura-park five-star hotel in Alanya. We paid U.S.
$4,000 for four and insured ourselves. On July 6 we went to Alanya
and on our way there we knew from our companions that we were the
only family to stay at Aventura-park. I was a little worried -
I thought it would be better for us to have our nationals with us,
because we were going to Turkey.
"In short, our family went to the Aventura-park hotel. It was claimed
to be a five-star hotel. The same information was on the Internet.
However, an unbiased ranking would not even rank it among 3-star
hotels. The seashore was dirty and we knew that the sewage was flowing
into the water for swimming. To switch on the air conditioner we had
to have a deposit, the linens were dirty. We 'enjoyed our holiday'
this way until July 16, when we had an incident no tourist in any
civilized country would meet with. First of all, the male personnel
were going beyond all the bounds in dealing with women, especially
Russian women - no matter they were with their friends or even married.
"We had the impression that the hotel staff did their best to please
the hotel owner and his son. The girls they struck up acquaintance
with were seen in company with the hotel owner and his son the same
evening. Two girls from Russia, one of them an Armenian girl, were
staying at the hotel with us. The hotel staff members tried to strike
up acquaintance with them, but were turned down. On July 16, the girls
were sitting at the table in the lounge. They were working on their
laptop. Waiters approached their table and pulled the cloth off the
table so that the laptop nearly fell on the floor. The girls reproved
the waiters, but they got into an argument and told the girls to 'shut
up.' Four young men from Russia were sitting at the next table - two
of them Armenians. They tried to find out what had happened. In answer,
Turks used foul language, and there was a scuffle. The security guards
did not do anything to part the sides. All the male staffers attacked
the four boys and beat them up in everybody's presence. At last, some
of the holiday-makers interfered and parted the sides. The young men
were taken to one of the lounge bars.
"At that moment, my husband and I were coming back to the hotel
and tried to get in touch with our elder son Hovhanes. At that very
moment, Hovhanes returned to the lounge. The four young men, who had
made friends with him before, asked him to bring their mobile phones.
One of the hotel staff members hit Hovhanes with his shoulder and,
turning back to him, insulted him. Hovhanes said he was careful,
but the Turk began to push him. There was a fight, and 20 people
beat up my son. A Tatar man from Russia tried to help Hovhanes rise,
but the Turks attacked the man, beat him and broke his ribs. When
I saw Hovhanes after the scuffle, I could not recognize my son. His
face was swollen even after we washed the blood off. When my husband
Artur tried to find out what had happened, about 20 hotel staffers
took him and his friend Khachik out of the building and beat them
up. One of the staffers took out a knife, another sprayed tear gas.
"The nightmare lasted for three hours. I could not turn to anyone for
explanations. There was an Armenian woman from the United States with
us. She spoke Turkish. I asked her to talk to the hotel owner. I told
her that the hotel personnel were outraging, and we would complain.
'Who are you going to complain to? I have no problems in Alanya.
Complain to whoever you want,' the owner said. When he knew we were
from Armenia, he was filled with disgust.
"A Tez Tour agent arrived at the hotel. He could not do anything to
calm down the hotel staffers who were in the 'heat of passion.' I told
him Hovhanes needed medical aid. He had been stuck on the head. The
agent told me he could not get in touch with Armenia to specify the
insurance. He told me to get in touch with Yerevan myself. I showed
him the documents proving the insurance, but that did not help.
"Toward midnight Turkish policemen arrived and arrested the four
Russian young men, my husband and Khachik. They came to our room to
arrest Hovhanes. I thought it was a nightmare.
"I told the Turkish policeman he could not arrest my son, who was
under age. He was saying something in Turkish, moving forward to put
handcuffs on Hovhanes. I lost my nerves. I began to shout at him,
saying I would sue him and all police for illegally arresting innocent
persons, whereas those guilty were walking about the hotel. I told
him that arresting a boy under age was a crime.
"At last I told him to arrest me and my 11-year-old son because I was
not going to leave my children alone. The policeman looked at me and
left the room.
"My husband and Khachik did not stay at the police station long. The
Tez Tour agent went to the police station and talked to them, asking
them to release Artur and the other arrestees. They were released, but
the policemen tried to trump up charges against the four Russian boys.
They were charged with starting a drunken brawl. I do not know how,
but Artur and his friends persuaded the policemen to release the boys.
"I had never felt so helpless and lonely. I could not hold back my
tears after we came back. The group members asked me about what had
happened, and I told them.
"At that moment a woman said: 'They should have behaved themselves,
nothing would have happened. I have spent my holiday in Turkey for
five years, and nothing like that has ever happened to me. Let them
set normal prices in their Armenia, and I will spend my money there.
"I was stunned. There was no point in answering. But our family
decided to never visit Turkey again."
P.S. NEWS.am reminds readers that Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic
relations, and Armenian citizens are defenseless in case of any legal
or other problems.
From: A. Papazian