Woman takes Tinder match to Turkey, gets caught up in military coup

Nicole Graham’s Tinder date ended up a disaster after the pair got caught up in the 

failed coup in Turkey.

If you’re going to invite you’re Tinder date on holiday, make sure you’ve been on a few dates

 first.

This British nurse spontaneously invited a Tinder date out to Turkey after her family couldn’t

 make it due to passport issues.

But the trip ended up being a complete disaster after the pair got caught up in the attempted   

military coup on Friday night.

Nicole Graham, 20, from South Tyneside, invited her match, 22-year-old Phil Stephenson, to

 join her on the week-long holiday after her 

mother and sister couldn’t make it.

She said: ‘After we matched on Tinder he asked me if I wanted to go out with him on Friday 

night, so I explained I was going away.

Phil Stephenson, 22, returned home after spending only two days with Nicole 

‘He told me he wished he could come with me, and I thought, why not?

‘I asked him for £150 towards the holiday and we met at the airport the following day. I am a

 spontaneous, fun-loving girl. I am all about the

 banter, and I thought it was better than going on my own.’

But as soon as she met him at the airport, she says she found him ‘ignorant’ and was on his   

phone the entire time.

When they landed at Dalaman airport in Turkey, Nicole realised their date had turned far 

worse after news spread of the attempted coup.

Phil, who works for a bed company, said: ‘She asked me if I would like to go instead and I 

didn’t think twice, I said yes, because that is the sort of person I am.

‘Now I am caught up in the unrest – but if I am honest I am more scared of her.’

The pair were due to stay for a week at the popular tourist resort of Marmaris (Picture: 

Alamy)

‘I soon realised she wanted us to behave like a married couple when we had only just met.’

The 22-year-old has now flown home, leaving Nicole to spend the next five days alone at 

the popular Marmaris resort.

But the auxiliary nurse couldn’t wait to see the last of her disappointing match.

She said: ‘I feel safe at the moment. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see the back of Phil.

‘Now he has gone I can enjoy myself – although he has left behind a £60 bar bill and taken 

my toothpaste.’

Hundreds of flights between Britain and Turkey were cancelled following the attempted coup  

on Friday.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has advised British people in Turkey to ‘stay in doors’ and 

avoid public places as the situation gets controlled.