British tourist stranded in Turkey after police arrest

A British tourist has been stranded in Turkey for more than a month after police allegedly mistook a severe asthma attack for drunkenness, leading to his arrest and a subsequent travel ban. Carl Ratcliffe, 47, from Stevenage, England, traveled to Bodrum with his fiancée, Natalia Flynn, 49, on June 10 for a holiday that quickly turned into a medical and legal ordeal.

Ratcliffe, who has a rare and severe form of asthma known as brittle asthma, suffered his first major attack just days after arriving. He was rushed to Bodrum American Hospital and placed in an induced coma for three days. After recovering, he proposed to Flynn, and the couple extended their stay while awaiting a doctor's approval to fly home.

On June 23, after watching a World Cup football match, Ratcliffe suffered another asthma attack. A paramedic on a motorbike responded, but Ratcliffe said he fell against the bike, causing it to topple. He claims passing police officers then arrested him, mistaking his medical distress for intoxication. Ratcliffe said he was unable to perform a breathalyzer test due to the attack and was arrested for resisting arrest. He alleged officers threatened to shoot him if they could not...