British tourist held in Turkey over flag, media say

Turkish media outlets DHA and IHA said police detained a 58-year-old British tourist in Alanya and that he was formally arrested on charges of insulting or degrading a symbol of the Turkish state after allegedly spitting on a Turkish flag in a hotel lobby.

The agencies said hotel staff reported the man after an argument, and that he was remanded in custody and taken to a prison near the city. They did not say exactly when the incident happened.

There was no immediate response from the British embassy. Article 300 of Turkey's penal code makes public disrespect of the Turkish flag an offence that can carry a jail term of up to three years.