NYC man fatally stabbed while on vacation in Turkey

An Upper West Sider pinch a passion for wildlife photography was allegedly murdered by nan proprietor of a furniture and meal while connected picnic successful Turkey, and friends are frantically lobbying for his assemblage to beryllium returned location for a due Jewish burial.

Yitzhak “Igor” Alishayiv, 46, was a “gentle, trusting” friend to each successful his tight-knit Orthodox Jewish community pinch a passion for nature, which drew him each twelvemonth to nan remote Gundogmus section of the southern Antalya region, immoderate 400 miles south of Istanbul, to prosecute his penchant for nature.

Alishayiv hoped to spot Uçansu Waterfall, known locally arsenic nan flying waterfall. “He was a mountaineer – not a metropolis guy,” said a longtime city friend, adding he had a soft spot for animals. “He ever called them ‘sin-free.’”

But connected May 3, little than 2 weeks into his intended six-week adventure, Alishayiv sewage into a heated, booze-filled statement pinch Ismail Kara, nan proprietor of nan furniture and meal wherever he was staying for $30 a night, family and friends told The Post.

As nan squabble escalated, an enraged Kara stabbed Alishayiv successful nan thorax pinch a knife, Turkish media reported. It’s unclear what nan 2 were arguing about. He was arrested for nan grisly execution little than a week later, according to Turkish media.

“We’re each successful daze – nary 1 could person imagined this would happen,” said Sara Shulevitz Vorhand, a criminal defense attorney who co-heads nan Congregation Heichal Moshe synagogue connected West 91st Street, wherever Alishayiv worked arsenic a custodian.

“We’re desperately trying to get nan assemblage backmost truthful we could decently opportunity goodbye to him,” she said, noting that Jewish rule calls for contiguous burial.

Dealing pinch delays and bureaucracy has been “frustrating,” added Vorhand, noting that friends are “not getting consecutive answers astir nan position of nan investigation” arsenic nan assemblage remains successful an Antalya forensic lab.

The friends besides judge Turkish officials being wholly transparent, raising nan anticipation that he was killed earlier than publically reported, arsenic nan past interaction he had pinch anyone was April 28, according to matter messages shared pinch The Post.

Turkish authorities ruled retired antisemitism arsenic a motive, according to Turkiye Today.

Still, friends said they warned Alishayiv to beryllium connected precocious alert owed to accrued antisemitism successful nan predominantly Muslim state up of his trip, which he’s made for nan past fewer years.

“We were ever tense erstwhile he went, but he ever came backmost safe and happy,” Vorhand said, noting that his position arsenic a dual national of Israel could make him a “target.”

Also, Alishayiv brought on immoderate $40,000 worthy of camera equipment, and his friends besides fishy that his shocking decease was a “setup” to bargain nan pricey lenses.

“He was considered able location – it’s a very mediocre area,” said a friend who held money for nan photographer, who was loath to recreation pinch rate connected him.

“He took everything he owned to Turkey, and we don’t cognize wherever his cameras are,” added nan friend.

The past interaction from Alishayiv — who pals described arsenic an “innocent psyche who only saw nan bully successful people” – was a matter asking nan chum to ligament a fewer 100 dollars.

Radio characteristic Rabbi Zev Brenner told The Post he’s been successful touch pinch nan mayor’s agency and nan authorities section to thief retrieve nan body. “It’s a tragic story, and nan organization is increasing frustrated, compounded by nan truth that we don’t person immoderate finality.”

Brenner, who knew Alishayiv for a decade, said a convulsive drunken conflict would person been uncharacteristic.

“Igor wasn’t a drinker,” said Brenner, who described him arsenic a healthy, hulking “ox” pinch a “very beardown build.

“It doesn’t make immoderate sense. Something’s not kosher astir this story.”