Worst Joke Ever? Tourists Terrified When Islamic State-Style 'Terrorists' Storm Resort Pool Area

Tourists vacationing at a Turkish resort got a scare last week when performers dressed as Arab terrorists stormed the pool area, toting what looked like machine guns and even a gasoline canister.

It emerged soon after that the display was part of a show by hotel staff meant to entertain the crowd. Two employees at the Grand Yazici Mares in Icmeler told TheBlaze it was put on by the hotel’s entertainment team, describing it as “not a big deal” and “just part of” the show.

The display took place less than two months after the terrorist attack on a Tunisian beach that left 38 tourists dead, most of them British. Turkey borders Syria and Iraq, where Islamic State fighters have carried out grotesque atrocities, including burning captives alive.

British tourist Jason Phythian told the U.K. newspaper The Sun that one of the actors poured liquid on him from a container marked “fuel,” which was really water.

“One ran up to me with a bucket with ‘fuel’ written on the side. He threw it over me and got out a cigarette lighter. I jumped up, not knowing what on Earth was going on,” Phythian said. “It was disgusting to try and make light of Tunisia in that way.”

The stunt was front page news Thursday in the British tabloid The Sun.

Some of the sunbathers fled the pool area and ran to hotel management, where they learned it was just a gag.

“We were so relieved — it was the hotel’s idea of entertainment for the day. They thought it was funny to run around the pool dressed as terrorists,” Phythian said.

He said his sister had wanted to cancel their trip after the Tunisia attack, but had been persuaded to come along.

“You could see in her face that she thought her worst nightmare was coming true. She was panicking like hell. She kept saying, ‘I’m going home, I’m going home,’” he said.

Hotel management was not immediately available for comment, but one employee told TheBlaze that what happened was “not a big deal.”

“It made us look bad, but was just part of the animation show that was going on and it was stopped immediately,” the employee said.

A second hotel employee told TheBlaze by phone from Turkey that the complaining guest misinterpreted what he saw, saying it was very clear it was all part of an act: besides the Arab-style dressed men, there were others dressed as Superman and other superhero characters.

“Other guests were laughing,” the second employee said.

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Hotel staff pull this sick terror prank https://t.co/6KDWVzuIKj pic.twitter.com/9vcnE1H48s

— The Sun (@TheSun) August 13, 2015

The tour company that booked some of the guests apologized.

“The hotel management have assured us it was never their intention to cause any offense or upset with their entertainment program,” a spokeswoman for Jet2holidays told The Sun. “The management now understands some of the costumes may have caused offense and will no longer use these in their shows.”

Photos the tourists captured of the masquerading "terrorists" can be seen at The Sun.

Front page image via Shutterstock