A 29-year-old German national struck a flight attendant in the face aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Turkey to Düsseldorf on the morning of June 1, 2026, after refusing to sit next to a woman and invoking Sharia law, police said.
The man slapped the attendant after she confronted him about his behaviour. Federal police were called to Düsseldorf Airport following the aircraft's landing at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time.
The suspect, a German citizen from the Ruhr area of Turkish descent, admitted to the assault during questioning. Düsseldorf police opened an investigation for bodily harm and took up the criminal complaint.