A British nurse who jetted off for a ‘blind date’ in Turkey found herself in the middle of the military coup attempt.
Nicole Graham, 20, had planned to spend her holiday at the coastal resort of Marmaris with her mother and younger sister. But a passport mix-up prevented them from travelling – so she decided to go with a man she met on dating app Tinder.
The auxiliary nurse, landed just hours before Friday’s coup bid. She is now among thousands of British holiday makers left stranded after many flights to and from the UK were cancelled.
But she decided to end the date with Phil Stephenson, of Darlington, Co Durham, after they didn’t hit it off. She said:
“I asked him for £150 towards the holiday and we met at the airport the following day. I am a spontaneous, fun-loving girl. I am all about the banter, and I thought it was better than going on my own.”
Phil described the holiday date as ‘an act of ‘spontaneity’. The 22-year-old, who works for a bed company, said:
“After I matched with her she told me she was supposed to be going on holiday the next day but that her mum and sister couldn’t go. She asked me if I would like to go instead and I didn’t think twice, I said yes, because that is the sort of person I am. Now I am caught up in the unrest – but if I am honest I am more scared of her. “Everybody is talking about the coup, but life at the hotel is going on as normal. I thought it would be a laugh, and that the lass would be the same as me. But I soon realised she wanted us to behave like a married couple when we had only just met.”
He added:
“I want to come home and I’ve booked a flight, but if it settles down, I might stay for the rest of the week. It’s not great between me and the girl though. Even on the plane over here I had my head phones in and she was annoyed about it.”
She added:
“I have been criticised me for going on holiday with a guy I didn’t know – but people meet on Tinder all the time.”
She intends to stay after making friends with other people staying in her hotel.
