Cafe Owner Admits to Mafia Extortion & Customer Scam in Turkey
The owner of The BBQ Grill Cafe in Antalya, Turkey, İsmail Karaalan, has confessed to a scheme involving inflated bills and a network that allegedly lured customers into financial traps, according to statements given to Hürriyet newspaper and reported on February 19, 2026. The confession follows the publication of a 22,850 TL (Turkish Lira) bill for a modest meal of meatballs and shepherd’s salad, which sparked public outrage and a police investigation.
Karaalan claims the cafe was infiltrated by two individuals, identified as Y.Ş. And M.Ş., who allegedly coerced him into allowing them to operate the establishment and take a share of the profits. He stated he initially resisted their demands but succumbed to threats. He reported making multiple attempts to file complaints with the Bahçelievler Police Center and the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch Directorate (KOM Şube Müdürlüğü), but refrained from providing formal statements due to fear.
According to Karaalan’s account, the operation involved creating fake profiles on dating applications to attract male customers to the cafe. Women working with Y.Ş. And M.Ş. Would then invite these men to dine at the establishment, where they were presented with exorbitant bills, sometimes reaching 40,000 TL. Karaalan alleges that the women involved received 20% of the inflated amounts collected from the customers. He described the scheme as involving “threats, coercion, everything.”
Karaalan estimates the daily revenue generated through this practice reached 800,000 to 900,000 TL. He stated he attempted to disrupt the operation by hiding the cafe’s liquor license and operating permit, hoping to attract the attention of authorities. Still, he claims the perpetrators had circumvented regulations and continued operating without issue. He expressed fear that the individuals involved would relocate and establish a similar operation elsewhere.
Antalya Police have confirmed an investigation is underway into the allegations. A customer of The BBQ Grill Cafe, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters the establishment had undergone a noticeable change in character. “The cafe was remarkably respectable when it first opened. Even civil servants came here. But then those shady characters started showing up. There were fights every day, and customers started leaving,” the customer said.
Yasin Tekdemir, President of the Antalya Restaurant Owners Association, highlighted the discrepancies between prices charged at the cafe and market values, stating that flavored carbonated beverages sold for 6,000 TL had a market value of only 350 TL, and a bottle of champagne sold for 8,000 TL typically retails for 500 TL.