Warning About Amy Beam, Murat Sahin, and Murat Camping and Tourism near Mount Ararat

I want to warn tourists and tourism groups about Amy Beam and Murat Sahin, who pretend to be guides in the Mount Ararat region and then steal from, attempt to blackmail tourists, and secretly record hidden videos of their customers.

Amy Louise Beam is an American woman who manages foreign English-speaking tourists for Murat Camping. Murat Camping is a run-down camp led by Murat Sahin, a convicted murderer, who spent nine years in a Turkish penitentiary. Amy Beam is Murat Sahin’s partner in crimes against tourists. Amy Beam was just banned from Turkey because of associations with terrorism.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/28428480.asp?noMobile=true
http://world.bgnnews.com/american-author-banned-from-re-entering-turkey-haberi/4228
http://medyabizim.com/medya/amy-louise-beam/4539/

Amy Beam and Murat Sahin advertise to foreign tourists through various websites. They bad-mouth their competition, which are hundreds of dollars or euros less expensive. Their competition offers stays in nice hotels at far lower rates.

Once you are at Murat Camping, which is miles away from Dogubayazit, Amy Beam and Murat Camping have you trapped.

First the basics, which are bad:

a. Murat Camping is a filthy place. Often the water is shut off, leaving the stench of fecal matter throughout the camp.

b. When the water does run, it is usually has a yellow stain.

c. The accommodations are grim and terribly expensive. Four people pay huge amount of money to stay crammed in a small room with a shared bathroom. You can rent a wonderful hotel room in Dogubayazit at $30 per night. At Murat Camping you will pay more than $30, have a small room with three other roommates, and a shared toilet.

d. The food is ridiculously expensive. What costs $2 in the town of Dogubayazit, will cost $15 at Murat Camping.

Now, the aspects about Murat Camping, which are really bad:

Amy Beam and Murat Sahin attempt to blackmail tourists and film secret videos of them.

1. Amy Beam and Murat Sahin encourage tourists to send their passport photographs for permits to climb Mount Ararat. Later they will use these photographs to blackmail tourists by posting these photographs on the internet enabling other criminals to try to use this identification to hack into bank accounts.

2. Amy Beam and Murat Sahin encourage tourists to stay at their motel and then film secret videos of tourists trying to give them more money.  If the tourists do not give them more money, they show the secret videos on the internet.

3. Amy Beam and Murat Sahin encourage single female tourists to stay at their locale. Several villagers in Dogubayazit told me personally that single females are sexually assaulted at Murat Camping. Women should beware of Murat Camping.

Also, women travelers need to understand the perspective of Amy Beam. She is the 65-year-old partner of Murat Sahin. For every female Amy Beam lures to Murat Camping, regardless of what happens to this potential victim, Amy Beam gets a percentage of the profit.

4. When tourists are away on tours, Amy Beam and Murat Sahin go through a tourist’s personal belongings and copy receipts, private diary, travel itineraries, banking information, and any type of information and then post these on the internet if the tourist does not give in to their blackmail demands.

5. Murat Sahin states that he bribes individuals of the local military police. If tourists do not agree to pay Murat Camping more money, Murat Sahin and Amy Beam threaten tourists with jail time at the local military police branch.

What is ironic is Amy Beam and Murat Sahin were deported from or jailed in Turkey for illegal acts against tourists. Their claims of blackmailing the local authorities did not help them.  But tourists should be careful about engaging in any activity with Murat Camping or Amy Beam because these individuals might use threats and alleged illegal bribes to harm innocent tourists.

To recap, do not go to Murat Camping or send money to Amy Beam because...

1. They may post your passport on the internet.

2. They may post your private information on the internet.

3. They may take secret videos of you and post these on the internet.

4. They may be bribing the local police and attempt to imprison you.

5. Female travelers may be sexually assaulted at Murat Camping.

6. Murat Camping is filthy.

7. You may stay in crammed conditions, with four other individuals, sharing a toilet.

8. You will pay much more for food, accommodations, and tours than at other places in Dogubayazit.