Turkish club president punches referee in the face after Super Lig game in Ankara
Following an attack on a FIFA-licensed referee, the Turkish Football Federation has banned all league matches until further notice. Faruk Koca, the president of Turkish top-tier club MKE Ankaragucu, physically attacked referee Halil Umut Meler after his team’s 1-1 draw with Caykur Rizespor on Monday.
Following the completion of the match, Koca entered the field and hit Meler in the face. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X that Koca was being treated at a hospital under police supervision after feeling faint after his violent conduct on the field, and that “detention procedures will be carried out following the treatment.”
Yerlikay further stated that the Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office detained two other men who kicked Meler in the head during the incident.
“The responsible club and its managers will be punished most severely. Everyone who has ever targeted referees is complicit in this despicable crime,” the federation’s president, Mehmet Buyukeksi, said after an extraordinary meeting of its board of executives.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the incident, which occurred in Ankara, the capital city.
“Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence,” Erdogan posted on Twitter, which is being rebranded as ‘X’.
“We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports,” he added.
Meler, a FIFA referee since 2017, took charge of Lazio’s Champions League group game against Celtic on November 28.
Referees in Türkiye are frequently chastised for their decisions by team managers and presidents, but they are rarely the focus of physical violence.
After 15 games, Ankaragucu is 11th in the standings with 18 points, three points behind Rizespor, who has 22 points. The next round of the Turkish top flight, the 16th of 38, is set for next weekend.
