A referee of the Turkish football championship match was brutally beaten this Monday by several men, including the president of the club. Ankaragücua serious incident which has caused the Turkish Super League to be suspended until further notice.
According to images broadcast live on television, the head of the Ankara club, Faruk Koca, rushed onto the pitch after the match between Ankaragücü and Rizespor before hitting the match referee, Halil Umut Meler, in the face. Moments before, in extra time, Rizespor could only draw (1-1) against Ankaragücü, having been denied a goal at the start of the match.
When he fell to the ground, the referee curled up into a ball to protect himself, but was then kicked in the face several times by at least two other men, presumably members of the home team. According to Turkish media, Halil Umut Meler, who has swelling under his left eye, was taken to hospital.
The Minister of the Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, announced on the social network X the arrest of three men, including the president of the Ankaragücü club. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) decided to “postpone sine die” all championship matches in reaction to this incident which raised the specter of violence in Turkish football. “We strongly condemn the inhumane and heinous attack against Halil Umut Meler (…) and wish a speedy recovery to our great referee,” the federation stated.
Turkish state news agency Anadolu quoted the head doctor at Ankara’s Acibadem hospital, where the referee was transferred, as indicating that he had suffered a head injury. “His vital prognosis is not in danger. There is bleeding around the left eye and a small crack,” explained Dr. Mehmet Yörübulut.
As proof of the deep resonance of this act of violence, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted. “I condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler (…) We will never allow violence to disrupt Turkish sport,” he wrote in X.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
