AN INFLUENCER is facing three years in jail for pole dancing on hallowed flag – but claims the public were amazed by her social media stunt.
The female tourist performed the “disrespectful” dance on the Turkish national flag – where she was seen doing the splits and flipping upside down.
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Controversial footage showed the the Bosnian tourist pulling the stunt on the rooftop of the Uchisar Castle in Cappadocia.
The Turkish flag was seen flying above her throughout the routine.
The video – filmed at the ancient fortress carved from volcanic rock – was reported to the Nevsehir Governor’s Office on August 21.
The tourist has since branded critics “small minded” after posting the video to her social media and being met by fierce backlash.
“All the Turkish people that were in that place on that day were amazed,” she wrote.
The viral video shows the holidaymaker showing off her flexible physique on the flag pole dressed in tight clothes.
Other tourists nearby are seen recording on their phones.
The governor’s office confirmed the woman is under investigation for disrespecting the Turkish flag.
Under Article 300 of the Turkish Penal Code, it is a crime to insult or show disrespect to the Turkish flag.
And Article 301 says it is an offence to insult the Turkish nation or state institutions.
The articles respectively have maximum prison sentences of three years and two years.
Officials said her actions were considered a disrespect to national and moral values and that the matter was being monitored closely.
AK Party Nevsehir Deputy Emre Caliskan condemned the behaviour, saying it was a “disrespect for our national and spiritual values and is completely unacceptable” in a social media post.
“The flag is our honour, the apple of our eye. Anyone who lacks this awareness must be warned and immediately intervened,” he wrote.
Uchisar Castle is the highest point in Cappadocia, towering over the region’s valleys and unusual rock formations.
The fortress was hollowed out of soft volcanic rock and used for centuries as a natural stronghold, with tunnels and chambers dug deep into the stone.
The monument boasts incredible views across the region and attracts many tourists.
In May, a group of Brits sparked outrage after two women were recorded swinging around a flagpole in lingerie and posing for pictures at a protected world heritage site.
One of their dads claimed they were treated like “scrubbers” and locked away with hardened criminals after the viral stunt in Corfu, Greece.
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