WATCH: 'Irish tourist' fights off Turkish shopkeepers in street brawl
A video has emerged from Turkey of what is reportedly an Irish tourist at the centre of a street brawl earlier this month.
Last night, Habertürk TV shared the footage of the man fighting off several assailants after a confrontation in a shop. It has since gone viral.
It has been reported by various outlets in Turkey that the as-yet-unidentified man is from Ireland and that he was staying in a hotel in the Aksaray district in Istanbul.
As can be seen in the video, the fight appears to have started when the man went to take a bottle of water from a fridge in a shop and opened the door causing several bottles of water to spill out.
İrlandalı boksör turist Aksaray esnafını böyle dövdü!https://t.co/cW0ZFEf0LM
— Habertürk TV (@HaberturkTV) August 25, 2015
The shopkeeper is then said to have approached him and threatened him with a stick. The confrontation escalates with other shopkeepers joining in, some hitting him with chairs and others holding bats - but it seems that the tourist is well able to defend himself.
This is how one Turkish media site, Today's Zaman, reported on what happened next:
"As soon as he realized that he needs to fight back, the tourist put his sunglasses on his head and positioned himself as if he was on a ring ready to fight against his rival. He started putting down a mob of shopkeepers one by one. One of them could hardly walk after taking a hit on the face."
The tourist is said to then have returned to his hotel.
The video has caused a bit of a stir on Turkish media with many praising the "Irish boxer" - they seem to regard him with some affection.
Irish tourist (a boxer) who beat up a herd of shopkeeper jackals in Istanbul has gained much sympathy from many Turks, including me.
— Candan Badem (@CandanBadem) August 25, 2015
Are the #Irish aware of the heroic antics of their citizen in #Aksaray district of #Istanbul yesterday. #boxing How not to treat tourists!
— Emi Kayserilioglu (@eminations) August 26, 2015
The Hurriyet Daily News has named the man as Mohammed Fadel Dobbous, an Irish citizen born in Kuwait but that has not been confirmed.
