The petrol bombs were found in a nearby garden by a neighour walking his dog 24 hours later. Police were called immediately who took the bottles away for investigation.


In the meantime, fire officers have declared that the fire was not caused by an electrical problem.


After the latest news, Ramazan Onat, owner of the restaurant and the sister Roka restaurant on Ataturk Boulevard, said: “The Casserole took 15 years to build up with our family’s life-savings and hard work, and was destroyed in less than 10 minutes.”


Mr Onat, a respected businessman for 20 years in Didim, said: “I just don’t know how anyone could do this.


“If it was a direct attack on me and my family, we live less than 30 metres from the Casserole restaurant. This news is very worrying.”


Residents living above the restaurant were able to escape their apartments before the fire engulfed the first floor and part of the second floor. There were no reported injuries.



HASAN BAYRAK