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Man detained in Turkey after hanging out Union flag towel

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;; ">Neighbours deemed the display of the flag to be a provocative act</span>
Neighbours deemed the display of the flag to be a provocative act Neighbours deemed the display of the flag to be a provocative act

Authorities in Turkey have detained an Iranian national for hanging out a towel emblazoned with the Union flag from a building during a Turkish public holiday, officials said.

The man was detained in the city of Kayseri following complaints by neighbours who deemed the display of the flag to be a provocative act.

The man defended himself by saying he was merely drying his wet towel, the Kayseri governor's office said in a statement.

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Turks celebrate May 19 Youth and Sports Day by, among other things, displaying Turkish flags from windows and on balconies.

The holiday commemorates the start of Turkey's War of Independence on May 19 1919 against forces in the country, including from Britain, following the First World War.

Neighbours clapped and cheered as police escorted away the detained man, media reports said.