An Irish tourist defended himself incredibly after he was attacked by a group of angry shopkeepers in Turkey.
The man, Kuwaiti-born Irish citizen Mohammed Fadel Dobbous, fought off several violent locals wielding sticks, chairs and other blunt objects.
The shocking incident took place in Istanbul’s Aksaray district. It was captured by CCTV which displays the time-stamp 01-08-2015. However the video has only just been published online and it has caused a frenzy of social media activity. Fadel Dobbous has been hailed a hero in both Ireland and Turkey for his actions.
It began when Fadel Dobbous opened a shop fridge door to get a drink. The entire contents of the fridge immediately fell out into the street, suggesting the fridge was overfilled.
However, despite the incident being an accident it provoked an angry reaction from the shopkeeper.
He confronted the bemused Irishman and struck him with a stick.
Fadel Dobbous instantly fought back and a full-on fight broke out in to the street. Several more shopkeepers joined in attacking Fadel Dobbous, several using weapons.
Incredibly, the Irish tourist managed to fend off the attacks, and landed a punch of his own that instantly floored one shopkeeper.
The hit shopkeeper got up and staggered to the side of the road and appeared to bend over and vomit after being hit with such force.
The angry group of shopkeepers continued to attack Fadel Dobbous for several more seconds, though many seemed more wary of getting too close having seen their friend injured.
Eventually the fight was broken up by peace making locals.
Take a look at the shocking video below.
The shocking incident has become a major talking point. Fadel Dobbous has received huge sympathy in Turkey after being subjected to such an unprovoked attack. He has also been praised for his impressive hand-to-hand combat skills. One female Twitter user even offered him her hand in marriage.
Some of the comments made on social media included:
Irish-Kuwaiti tourist who fought #Istanbul shopkeepers: “They picked the wrong man.”
Irish tourist (a boxer) who beat up a herd of shopkeeper jackals in Istanbul has gained much sympathy from many Turks, including me.
#irish tourist knocking them turks down. One against ten in Istanbul. Proud of him.
It was suggested that Fadel Dobbous must be a professional boxer given his remarkable physical ability, although the Boxing Union of Ireland have said they have no record of a licensed boxer by that name.