In Alanya, a Russian citizen abused their site management position, using a religious garment as an excuse, and barred a young girl from entering the pool. After 13-year-old H.K., who lives in a residential complex in the Mahmutlar neighborhood, was denied pool access by site manager Ludmina İnan for wearing a burkini, her family filed a complaint with the gendarmerie.
Russian national İnan, who was taken into custody by the gendarmerie, was arrested by the court after giving her statement. The incident sparked a debate on how cultural and religious sensitivities between the Russian community in Turkey and the local population are reflected in management rules.
Father Fatih K., who was at work at the time of the incident, said he learned about the situation by phone. Criticizing the manager for directly confronting a young child, the father recounted the events as follows:
"The woman spoke directly to my daughter, without asking if she had a guardian with her. She told my daughter, 'You can't enter the pool like this.' When my daughter asked why, she replied, 'This clothing contaminates the pool. We pay a lot of money for this pool, and as management we set rules.' My daughter said that the fabric of her clothing is no different from other swimsuits, only the style is different. The manager then accused my daughter, saying, 'Go in for today, but don't come back after this.' This is unacceptable. A Russian site manager is trying to prevent a Muslim from using the burkini they wear to enter the pool. We went to the gendarmerie and filed a complaint. The issue here is not just the humiliation of a young girl, but both an attack on our religious sensitivities and speaking to a young girl in this manner."
The incident reignited debates about the need for foreign managers living in Turkey to understand and respect local values.
