ANKARA, August 7 (Itar-Tass) - No cases of mass poisoning have been registered in hotels of Antalya and Belek in Turkey, the Chief of Antalya’s Culture and Tourism Department, Ibrahim Ajar, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
“We have checked all this information,” he said. “There is no talk about mass poisoning, about 50 people. Judging by the reports we receive from tour operators this information is not confirmed,” he said assuring that his department kept a close watch on any incidents involving foreign tourists and took prompt actions.
Earlier, Russia’s federal tourism agency (Rostourism) reported about 50 new cases of stomach flu among Russian tourists holidaying in Antalya’s Orient Palace (23 cases) and in Belek’s Jacaranda (24 cases).
A source at Orient Palace told Itar-Tass that “over the past several days 10-12 foreign tourists complained of being sick over an infection.” “But this does not concern poisoning with food products from our hotel. Many tourists bring food and drinks with them to the hotel, some spend too much time in sun. Around 1,400 tourists are staying in our hotel, third of them as a minimum ate similar food at the restaurant. Logically, no less than 400 people should have suffered poisoning.”
Jacaranda Hotel’s official said only one holidaymaker complained of feeling unwell. “No cases of poisoning or other similar cases have been registered. There cannot be any talk about 24 victims. We hope that sources of the unchecked information know that we have the right to apply to court.”