‘I was shell-shocked’ says woman in hostage drama

A British woman held in a hotel hostage drama in Turkey today spoke of her relief after the incident ended peacefully.

Karen Early, 28, from Epsom, Surrey, who was staying at the hotel as a conference organiser for Metal Bulletin trade magazine, said she had been ‘‘shell-shocked’’ by the drama.

Speaking from the hotel on a mobile phone, she said: ‘‘I was called in my bedroom at 1am by the reception and they said come down now to reception.

‘‘I said ‘why?’ and they said ‘you must come down for your own safety’.

‘‘I thought it was a fire but when I got to the elevator there was a guy waiting with a gun.

‘‘He made us hold our hands up and walk into the lobby where they were holding the other people.

‘‘I was shell-shocked, I did not know what was going on, it was pretty scary.’’