'I felt helpless': Female tourist claims she was sexually harassed by ice cream vendor in Turkey

An ice cream shop in Turkey was shut down after a female tourist took to social media to share about her negative experience and alleged sexual harassment.

In a Reddit post on July 7, the tourist uploaded a video of the uncomfortable interaction and detailed her experience at Beyoglu market in Istanbul during a short layover. It is not clear from the post where the tourist is from.

Turkish ice cream vendors are known for their playful tricks and showmanship, often teasing customers multiple times before eventually handing over their ice cream.

What was supposed to be a fun experience ended up with the tourist feeling violated and helpless. 

In the video, the vendor is seen taking the ice cream cone and inserting it into the tourist's cleavage with his bare hands.

The woman appears to recoil and takes a step backwards.

"I froze. I couldn't react, I felt helpless, I didn't say anything," the tourist said, adding that she continued smiling to mask the shock of what had happened.

The vendor continued with his tricks and playful routine during the 14-second video, even bringing the ice cream cone close to the tourist's face as if trying to get her to lick it.

"I was shaken by what just happened. I felt disgusted, humiliated, angry, sad, and more angry at myself for not standing up," the tourist said. 

The Reddit post went viral and garnered over 760 comments as of July 23, with many netizens showing support for the tourist. 

Several netizens expressed shock at the audacity of the vendor and urged her to report the vendor to the relevant authorities.

Turkish officials promptly took action on July 8 following the viral post and sealed off the ice cream vendor's stall.

Zabıta ekiplerimiz ilgili işletmeyi mühürledi.

Beyoğlu tüm kadınların güvenle gezeceği ilçedir, öyle kalması için her türlü tedbiri alacağız. https://t.co/T8AUPUDGkO pic.twitter.com/mrcHLd6Cwk

— inan güney (@inanguney) July 7, 2025

 "Our municipal police have sealed off the business in question. Beyoglu is a district where all women can walk around safely, and we will take every precaution to ensure it remains that way," Beyoglu mayor Inan Guney said, in a statement on X.

dana.leong@asiaone.com

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