29.01.2026 21:18
In the Kartepe district of Kocaeli, a fight that broke out between a group on vacation and ATV operators, captured by mobile phone cameras, ended at the police station; a 10-year-old child who witnessed his father being assaulted said, "Five people attacked my dad, they hit his head against the ATV. I was very affected psychologically."
A group that came to Kartepe district of Kocaeli for vacation and ATV operators got into a fight that was captured by mobile phone cameras, which ended at the police station. A 10-year-old child who witnessed his father being assaulted in front of him said, "Five people attacked my father, they hit his head against the ATV. I was very affected psychologically," recounting the horror he experienced.
The incident occurred within the premises of the sealed Kartepe Green Park Hotel. According to the information obtained, a group of about 15 people who came from Istanbul in 4 vehicles rented 5 ATVs from a local business to entertain their children. A dispute arose during the tour when the business employees kept stopping and starting, and allegedly a guide took the vehicle keys saying, "Your tour is over."
THEY ATTACKED THE VACATIONING FAMILY
The situation escalated after the business employees claimed that one person in the group punched their 15-year-old friend. Allegedly, with the involvement of other employees called to the area, a group of about 20 people attacked the vacationing family. Following the incident, both parties filed complaints against each other. The events were recorded moment by moment by citizens using mobile phone cameras.
"YOUR TOUR IS OVER, THIS IS AS FAR AS YOU GO"
Naci Kaanoğlu stated that their vacation, which they came to for entertaining their children, ended in a disaster. Describing the events, Kaanoğlu said, "We wanted to pay by card, but they said they only accepted cash. Therefore, we made a cash payment. We paid about 20,000 TL and rented 5 ATVs. They made us wait for 10-15 minutes. Then the tour guide came. We proceeded with the ATVs, but we faced difficulties in moving forward. It was always stop-and-go, and a 40-minute time limit had already been set. I perceived that they were trying to get through that with stop-and-go. There were instructions like 'Don't go right, don't go left, don't leave the path,' and they stopped again. I asked, 'Why are you stopping?' He said, 'You are leaving the path.' After all, we are in Kartepe and riding an ATV; there can't be a rule against that. I wasn't even going into the forest; I was continuing on the path. The guide in front took our key. He said, 'Your tour is over, this is as far as you go.' It became a ridiculous situation. After we entered into a verbal argument, the nature of the incident changed," he said.
"THEY ASSAULTED US IN FRONT OF OUR CHILDREN, WE HAD A DISASTROUS DAY"
Kaanoğlu, stating that the argument turned into a fight, said, "They assaulted us in front of our children. There were two of them, and suddenly there were 20. There were other families on vacation, having barbecues, and they noticed this situation and recorded videos. We had an incredibly disastrous day; it was very bad. We brought the children for entertainment, but we faced a big problem. They pulled a knife on us and threatened us with a gun. They were all around 18-20 years old. I think people who go on vacation with their families and children should not encounter such individuals," he said.
"WHEN I SAW MY CHILD'S TEARS, MY WORLD DARKENED"
Ali Çetinkaya, who said his family was attacked in front of their children, stated, "We came from Istanbul to Kartepe to make our children happy. We are tradesmen. When I see such tradesmen, I feel an incredible sadness. We try to treat our customers well, regardless of what happens, we try to show sensitivity, especially when there are children around. We are very sad about yesterday's incident. We rented the tour solely to entertain our children. The staff there were not good people at all. I had two daughters on the ATV.
In front of the children, they took the key and said, 'Get off, your tour is over.' I said, 'I didn't do anything wrong,' but they said, 'Your tour is over, get off. Otherwise, I will call my friends, and I will send you away somehow.' While we were trying to reason with them, 20 people came. They assaulted us. I never even raised my hand because I have my children and my wife. God forbid, if something happened to them, the situation would escalate. We did all the courtesy to prevent the situation from escalating; our spouses were very worn out. When I saw my child's tears, my world darkened," he said.
Çetinkaya stated that he received a medical report after the incident, saying, "I bled from my ear and nose. While I was falling, 20 people hit me with incredibly deadly blows to my ribs and head. We also received a medical report. We had a very difficult day," he said.
WHAT THE CHILD WHO WITNESSED HIS FATHER BEING ASSAULTED SAID BROKE HEARTS
One of the biggest victims of the incident was 10-year-old Esma Hazal Çetinkaya, who witnessed the violence. Recounting the terrifying moments she experienced, the child said, "I cried a lot, I was shaking, it was very cold. Five people attacked my father, they hit his head against the ATV. I was very affected psychologically. It was very disrespectful for them to behave like that towards their elders. My brother and my friend were very upset; we were very affected. We were very sad about the way they treated our fathers. God forbid, something could have happened to my father, and we could have had to rush to the hospital. I still feel very sad when I think about these things. Their business needs to be reviewed. Everything was very nice beforehand, but our vacation was ruined because of the actions of those who attacked us," she expressed.
A child named Metehan, who was present at the scene, said, "We got on the ATV; they made us wait a bit before getting on. They had a dispute among themselves. We got on the ATV and were going. Those who attacked us kept saying 'stop-go.' In the end, my uncle said, 'Why are we doing stop-and-go?' Then the men came and started talking back to us, they insulted us. We moved a bit further, and the man said 'stop' again and pulled my uncle off the ATV. He said, 'Your ATV driving ends here,' took the key, and got him off as if he were a child. After insulting us there, they tried to push us, and the fight started. They had knives and things like guns on their belts," he said.
A STATEMENT CAME FROM THE BUSINESS
In a statement from the business, it was said, "It has been stated that the citizens who claimed to have been assaulted and robbed before the incident did not comply with the rules, and therefore their tour rights were canceled, and this is why they attacked the only child they saw. The visuals they provided to the press were taken by themselves and do not belong to the beginning of the incident. Thousands of tourists visit Kartepe every day for sightseeing and are hosted very well. The matter has been referred to the judiciary, and an investigation is being conducted by the judicial authorities. However, it is not correct to portray this issue as the father being assaulted in front of his child. Before the images released to the press, our young friend who was seen alone was assaulted. The tradesman reflected in the camera during the footage was trying to calm the parties down," it was stated.