Germany: Airline Passenger Refuses to Sit Next to a Woman: Assaults Stewardess

This news apparently is just being reported in the European press within the last few days. On June 1, on a flight from Samsun, Turkey to Dusseldorf, Germany, a male passenger, described as a German of Turkish immigrant background, objected to having to sit next to a female passenger invoking sharia law. When a stewardess attempted to resolve the situation, he allegedly struck her in the face.

According to the article below, the Sun Express flight, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, was an hour out of Dusseldorf. When the plane landed, the male passenger was greeted by airport police. The man reportedly admitted the act but proceeded to insult the officers, for which he now faces an additional charge of insulting an officer in addition to assaulting the flight attendant.

What is not clear to me is why the man made a scene in midflight as opposed to departure when passengers took their seats. Of course, that is irrelevant. In addition, even if the incident had happened at the airport in Turkey on a Turkish aircraft, I doubt the accused had any legal recourse under sharia law. For most of the past century, Turkey has been a secular country. Even under Erdogan, I seriously doubt that sharia law would apply in Turkey. I am assuming the man was assigned a seat next to a woman at the Samsun airport. 

The below article in Bild is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Flight to Dusseldorf

Passenger strikes stewardess over sharia

He did not want to sit next to a woman

-By Uwe Wojtuschak

July 17, 2026 at 0:700

Dusseldorf: Beatings over sharia? A man on a flight from Samsun (Turkey) to Dusseldorf allegedly became abusive because he did not want to sit next to a woman. When a stewardess responded to the situation, he reportedly struck her in the face. The police are investigating.

According to Bild's information, the incident, which the authorities are now investigating, occurred on June 1, around 6 am on a Sun Express flight (a voint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines). Subsequently, the federal police at the airport were called to the plane, which landed at 6:59 am to take an assault report.  

The criminal report has now been forwarded from the federal police to the Dusseldorf police, who will conduct further investigation. A police spokesman told Bild, " According to initial witness statements, "the man invoked sharia law and refused to sit next to a woman." The flight attendant then spoke to him, and then the passenger reportedly slapped her.

Federal police insulted

According to Bild's information, the accused passenger is a 29-year-old German from the Ruhr area, apparently with a Turkish migrant background. As Bild learned, the passenger admitted the act to officers of the Federal Police. However, the conversation did not go harmoniously. 

As the Federal Police confirmed to Bild, the man insulted the officers in Turkish. But since one of the Federal Police officers himself spoke Turkish, the incident was not without consequences. In addition to the assault charge, there is also a charge of insulting (an officer).