Three men film flight attendant and get arrested upon landing

Sep 25 2023 Travel trends

After landing in Turkey, three passengers of Pegasus Airlines found themselves in custody, facing allegations of sexually harassing a flight attendant. A flight attendant reported three passengers.

Flight attendant filmed during safety instructions

The safety briefing by cabin crew before the takeoff of an aircraft is a standard procedure. Many travelers tend to pay little to no attention to the briefing. However, one group of travelers appears to have paid too much attention to a stewardess, leading to dire consequences.

The group had flown with Pegasus Airlines from Tel Aviv to Istanbul. During the safety demonstration, the men reportedly laughed at and filmed a flight attendant, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Ynet. Subsequently, the stewardess asked the man recording to delete the video.

Three men detained by the police after Pegasus flight

The incident had repercussions. Upon arrival, the men were detained by the police. The flight attendant testified that she felt sexually harassed and humiliated by the men, partly because they had laughed at her appearance and accent. The men only deleted the video after she threatened to involve the police, which ultimately led to her filing a complaint, as reported by the BNN Network.

The group was led away in handcuffs by the police. After questioning, six men were released, while three others were taken into custody.

Tense relations between the Israel and Turkey

A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed awareness of the case but could not specify when the three Israeli men would be released. Currently, they have been in custody for nearly a week.

The relationship between Israel and Turkey is strained. Turkey frequently criticizes Israel for its policies towards the Palestinians, while Israel accuses Turkey of supporting terrorism and violating human rights.