Bodrum Fight Case: Joao Franco and Brother Claim Self-Defense

Former Below Deck cast member Joao Franco and his brother Carlos have told Turkish police they were attacked in a fight in the resort city of Bodrum and acted in self-defense, according to the Demiroren News Agency, as cited by SSBCrack. They deny hitting 17-year-old Muhammet Koyabakan, who died in hospital after the fight. News reports have not said what charges, if any, have been filed.

What the brothers say

Demiroren reported that the brothers were detained and then formally arrested. In their account to police, they said they were the ones attacked and that they did not strike the teenager. Those statements are the brothers' own and have not been independently confirmed in the reports.

What is reported about the fight

Demiroren said Franco, 36, and his brother were involved in an argument with shop owners on Saturday. The agency reported that the brothers appeared to be intoxicated and that the dispute began after swearing. During the fight, Koyabakan fell and hit his head on the ground. He was taken to a hospital and died on Monday, according to the report.

Video of the incident shared by NBC News appears to show a man identified as Franco trying to calm an argument among several people before it turns into a brawl. The footage also shows Franco and his brother in handcuffs as police lead them away. SSBCrack said the arrest was first reported by local media and cited by the Associated Press.

Who the Franco brothers are

The brothers were raised in Zimbabwe and hold Portuguese nationality. Franco has appeared on several seasons of Below Deck Down Under and Below Deck Mediterranean as a yacht bosun, and on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. On social media he calls himself a “Superyacht Captain.” Below Deck follows yacht crews serving charter guests on luxury trips, and Franco was at times shown as hot-headed and was involved in several on-screen confrontations.

Bodrum is a port city on the Aegean Sea and a popular destination for wealthy yacht owners, which is part of why the arrest of a figure from yachting television drew attention. The shop owners involved in the argument have not been named in the reports.

What this means for the case

For now, the facts are limited and partly disputed. The account of the fight comes from Turkish media reporting, and the brothers' version differs from the idea that they started it. Which charges may be brought, and how the legal process will proceed, were not disclosed in the reports available so far.

For readers who know Franco from television, the case is a reminder that the video shows only parts of the fight. It appears to show him attempting to defuse the argument at first, as well as being led away in handcuffs, but it does not by itself settle who struck the teenager or how he fell. Those questions are for Turkish investigators and, if charges follow, the courts.

No date has been given for the brothers' next court appearance, and further details of the investigation were not disclosed. Readers should treat the current account as an early picture that may change as Turkish authorities and the courts release more information.

Earlier on Around Prague: Below Deck Captain Joao Franco Arrested in Turkey After Teen, 17, Dies

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Around Prague, based on reporting by SSBCrack

Cover photo: Mustang Joe / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)