Influencer Faces Three Years in Prison for Filming 12-Second Video Around Turkish Flag
An influencer is reportedly facing three years in prison for posting a 12-second video of herself performing acrobatics around the Turkish national flag.
The foreign tourist, who is a gymnastics content creator, has been accused of “disrespecting” the Turkish flag after sharing a clip of herself dancing around a flagpole at Uçhisar Castle in Cappadocia earlier this month.
According to a report by AFP, Turkish prosecutors opened an investigation after viewing the footage on social media, which showed her performing a gymnastics routine around the pole beneath the flag and in front of visitors at the historic site. The influencer, known online as @blittem, shared the video on Instagram, where it has amassed over 211,000 views.
🇹🇷 A female tourist performed a short pole dance on a flagpole with the Turkish national flag in in Cappadocia.
Turkey was offended and opened a criminal with a possible sentence of up to five years!
"The governor's office is closely monitoring this heinous incident, which we… pic.twitter.com/2UHd8DulHI
— Michael Cook (@Michael91387113) August 26, 2025
The governor’s office of Nevşehir province has filed a criminal complaint against the woman, without disclosing her name, age, or nationality. The complaint prompted the chief public prosecutor’s office to open a formal investigation. The woman could now face charges under two articles of the Turkish Penal Code.
“Regarding the inappropriate behaviour of a foreign national at a Turkish flagpole in our city… a criminal complaint was filed and a legal investigation opened by Nevsehir’s chief public prosecutor’s office under articles 300 and 301 of the Turkish penal code,” the governorate says in a statement to AFP. “The governor’s office is closely monitoring this heinous incident, which we see as showing disrespect for our nation’s moral values.”
Under Article 300, it is illegal to publicly disrespect the Turkish flag in an offence which can carry a jail term of up to three years. Article 301 deals with the offence of insulting Turkishness, the Turkish nation, its government, or national heroes, and carries a prison term of up to two years.
Uçhisar Castle is the highest point in Cappadocia and was historically used as a strategic stronghold from the Byzantine period through the Ottoman Empire. Today, the 197-foot fortress is a popular tourist attraction offering panoramic views of the region.
In recent months, several tourists have faced legal consequences abroad for breaking rules on filming and photography. A British tourist is facing a $231,000 fine for flying an unauthorized drone at a festival in Spain in July. Meanwhile, a photographer is facing one year in prison for flying a drone in Thailand days after the country imposed a nationwide ban on the aerial devices.
Earlier this week, PetaPixel reported on a pair of travel influencers who expressed their shock after they were sent a lengthy list detailing almost “20 fineable offences” over photos they had posted on Instagram months earlier.
Image credits: Header photos via Instagram/ @blittem.
