UK tourists 'stoical' after bombs

By Jack Izzard
BBC News, Marmaris

The explosion happened close to shops and restaurants

Despite 10 UK citizens being injured - four of them seriously - in bomb blasts in Turkey, it would appear most of the British tourists there are determined not to allow the attacks to ruin their summer holiday.

There was barely a cloud in the electric blue sky over the resort of Marmaris on Tuesday.

It is easy to see why its picture postcard sandy beaches and crystal clear sea attract hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors every year.

But now the horizon is looking a little darker. Not literally of course - the climate here is famously warm. But the threat of terrorism has got people worried.

Three bombs exploded in the town centre within 15 chaotic minutes on Sunday night.

One tore through a minibus packed with foreign tourists, injuring 10 Britons.

The terrorists can't stop people coming here Marmaris resident Oktay hires out boats to tourists

On Tuesday, police officers were patrolling beaches, souvenir shops and the neon-lit bars, which sprout along the seafront.

It is all about reassuring tourists that things are back to normal.

Holiday companies say only "a handful" of British package tourists have asked to return home early. But the people who know Marmaris best are not so sure.

Zeki has run a bar on the promenade for 17 years.

He said he has already noticed the difference: "It's only two days since the bombs, but there are definitely fewer people about.

"Fewer than last week - and fewer than last year.

"But they will come back - Marmaris is always beautiful."

His friend, Oktay hires out boats to tourists. His business has dipped too.

But he is upbeat: "Maybe it'll be 10 days, maybe two weeks - but this won't last," he said.

"The terrorists can't stop people coming here."

Attacking foreign visitors

But that is exactly what they are trying to do. The Kurdish Freedom Falcons (TAK) is the militant group claiming to be behind the attacks in Marmaris.

It wants the Turkish government to grant independence to Kurdistan, a region in the south-east of the country.

Radical Kurdish separatists have been attacking foreign visitors to Turkey for more than two decades.

Their message to tourists is simple: stay away.

They hope to cost the Turkish economy millions in lost revenue by scaring off foreigners.

But so far, they have not succeeded in Marmaris - tens of thousands of holidaymakers are still here.

And for now, the bookings are still coming.

Marie Hammond, from Sunderland, was eating dinner only a few hundred yards from the minibus when it blew up.

I was two days into a two-week holiday when the bomb went off but there is no way I'm going to let it be spoiled Marie Hammond from Sunderland

She only realised something had happened when she saw crowds of people gathering outside the police cordon.

But she is not tempted to go home.

"It never crossed my mind," she said.

"I was two days into a two-week holiday when the bomb went off.

"But there is no way I'm going to let it be spoiled.

"Yes, of course, people are talking about it in the bars, and I've had a lot of worried calls from friends back home.

"But it's not worth worrying about - you just have to hope you're not in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The Turkish authorities are hoping other tourists will share Marie's stoicism. For now they are doing everything they can to catch the bombers.

But if there are more attacks, tourists may think twice about coming here. And by staying away, they too will unwittingly become pawns in the separatists' bloody campaign.