Yesterday night, I was singled out, belittled, sworn at, and threatened with arrest by a bouncer here all because I am Turkish and I handed them a valid Turkish ID. The bouncer tried to intimidate me and my friends by saying I would be in serious trouble and even spend time in jail. He arrogantly told me, “I’m calling the cops”, trying to frighten me, but when I handed him my dad over the phone, he lied and said he was never going to do that. He also refused to return my valid Turkish ID, causing extreme embarrassment and emotional distress in front of everyone. Another Turkish customer experienced the same treatment that night, showing this is not an isolated incident. When the police confirmed my ID was legitimate and even called the bouncers here “stupid”, he did not show any remorse and simply smirked at me like it was a joke. This behavior is discriminatory, arrogant, aggressive, and completely unacceptable. Be aware that staff here may single out and intimidate international visitors or anyone with a foreign ID.
