Misleading
Fact-Checked
- 19.11.2025
Viral video does not show Turkish man beating up Pakistani employee; victim is Iranian
Claim
Viral video of Turkish man beating a Pakistani man in Turkiye
Rating Justification
The iVerify Pakistan team reviewed this content and determined that it is misleading.
To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image and keyword search to trace the original incident and determine what actually occurred.
Multiple users on social media platform X were sharing a video since November 17, 2025, claiming that the footage showed a Pakistani man being beaten by a Turkish man. However, the person being beaten is not Pakistani but an Iranian employee of Turkish social media personality Bahadır Unlu.
HOW IT STARTED
On Nov 17, an X account that spreads propaganda against South Asians shared a video showing a man beating another with a bat.
The caption read: “Turkish brother showing brotherhood to fellow Pakistani Turkish brother, so wholesome.”
The post gained 137,100 views.
The clip was also shared by an Indian propaganda account that routinely shares Islamophobic content with the following caption: “Turkish brother having wholesome intercourse with Pakistani poodle.”
The post received 35,800 views.
Another X user, who appears to be a pro-Afghan, shared the same video with the following caption: “A wholesome moment between Turkish and Pakistani. Turkish blood saar for a reason. Good vibes only.”
The post gained 18,800 views.
The same video was also shared by other users on X with similar captions, as can be seen here, here, here, here and here, collectively gaining over 25,000 views.
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the state of affairs of overseas Pakistanis.
A reverse image search yielded a Nov 14 X post that shared the same video but did not disclose the identity of the person being beaten or link it to a Pakistani.
A keyword search yielded a news report by Jordan-based media outlet Al Bawaba dated Nov 15, 2025, with the following headline: “Violent attack video sparks outrage as Bahadır Ünlü faces charges — Who is he?”.
The report stated that the incident occurred on Nov 13 in the Tomtom neighbourhood of Istanbul and identified the victim as Ismail N, an Iranian employee working at the restaurant owned by Turkish social media personality Bahadır Unlu. According to the report, Unlu violently assaulted the worker with kicks, punches and a baseball bat.
He was later arrested on charges of intentional wounding.
The report also described the public outrage that followed, with local authorities shutting down the restaurant and additional footage emerging of Unlu engaging in violent behaviour in unrelated incidents.
Turkish news outlet Hurriyet also reported the incident in an article on Nov 15, 2025, with the headline: “Images causing outrage … the statement of Bahadır Ünlü, the actor who brutally beat his employee, has been revealed”.
Similarly, another Turkish media outlet Haberler also covered the incident in a November 15, 2025, report titled: “The famous actor paid a heavy price for these images”.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING
The claim that a viral video shows a Turkish man beating a Pakistani man is misleading.
The video does not show a Pakistani man being beaten, but the Iranian employee of Turkish social media personality Bahadır Unlu in a workplace assault case.
Evidence and References
November 13, 2025, Al Bawaba news report:
https://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/violent-attack-video-sparks-outrage-1616798
November 15, 2025, Hurriyet news report:
https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/infial-yaratan-goruntuler-calisanini-feci-sekilde-doven-oyuncu-bahadir-unlunun-ifadesi-ortaya-cikti-43020099
November 15, 2025, Haberler news report:
https://en.haberler.com/the-famous-actor-paid-a-heavy-price-for-these-19255294/
