Altinkum & Didim Tourism Portal - Was Altinkum restaurant fire-bombed?

THE DISCOVERY of three unused Molotov-****tail bombs just yards from a gutted Altinkum restaurant has heightened fears that it may have been deliberately targeted - and added a sinister twist to the potential cause of the blaze.

Police and fire officers were assessing the bottles full of fuel which were discovered less than 40 metres from the charred remains of the Casserole restaurant, which is just off Ege Caddessi and a short walk from the Esra Apart Hotel.

The restaurant, a firm favourite with British residents and tourists for many years, was completely destroyed in a fire at 4am last Wednesday (Oct 1).

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