Carl Ratcliffe, a 47-year-old British holidaymaker with life-threatening brittle asthma, claims he was thrown in a Turkish prison and 'treated like an animal' after police mistook his medical emergency for drunkenness. He has been stranded in Turkey for 34 days, facing £10,000 in debts.
Holiday Turned Nightmare
Ratcliffe and his fiancée Natalia Flynn, 49, arrived at the luxury Susona Hotel in Bodrum on June 10 for an eight-day break. Two days later, while on an evening walk, he suffered a severe asthma attack. He was rushed to Bodrum American Hospital and placed in an induced coma, regaining consciousness three days later.
While waiting for a 'fit to fly' certificate, Ratcliffe watched England's World Cup match against Ghana in a bar on June 23. He suffered a second asthma attack. Fellow holidaymakers called an ambulance, but Ratcliffe claims Turkish police arrested him, assuming he was drunk.
Arrest and Custody
Ratcliffe said: 'I told them I could not breathe and I was having an attack but they said they didn't speak English. They wanted me to do a breathalyser test but I couldn't, so they arrested me for resisting arrest.' He was taken to Bodrum police station, stripped to his shorts, and locked in a tiny cell. 'It was horrid in there – it absolutely stunk. All I had was a chair and a hole in the corner to go to the toilet which was covered in faeces.'
He claims officers threatened to 'shoot' him if he lowered his hands. After 14 hours in custody, blood tests proved he had no alcohol in his system. However, a judge banned him from leaving Turkey pending an investigation into a motorcycle he allegedly knocked over during the attack.
Second Coma and Stranded
On June 26, Ratcliffe returned to the same hospital for a replacement inhaler and ended up in another induced coma for five days. He woke with his arms tied to the bed, fearing he was dying. He discharged himself on July 1, the same day he regained consciousness.
Despite having travel insurance, Ratcliffe and Flynn face mounting costs for accommodation, legal fees, and mortgage payments back home. They have launched a crowdfund to help. His mother, Francine Kelly, 65, said: 'They treated him like an animal, I am heartbroken. I just want him home and safe in the UK.'
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting a British man in Turkey, and are in touch with the local authorities.' Both Bodrum Police and Bodrum American Hospital have been approached for comment.
