Referee Halil Umut Meler was beaten and kicked until he was hospitalized in Turkey. Image: Reuters
The brutal attack by the president of a Turkish first division club extends the history of violence in Turkish football. This time the association wants to take action. The perpetrator is an old acquaintance of Erdoğan.
Violence has a long history in Turkish football. This year it was longer again. For example, in March in Bursa, the host’s nationalist fans attacked Amedspor Diyarbakır’s supporters simply because they were Kurds. And in May, when the game between the city’s two clubs in Izmir was canceled after 20 minutes due to bloody riots between fans.
In the Süperlig, the top league, the fans usually go crazy, while in the amateur leagues the players go crazy. Since a linesman was beaten in Trabzon in 2016, the Turkish Football Association has wanted to take tough action. Nothing happened. The violence continued and continues to be frightening. However, what happened in Ankara on Monday is unlikely to be without consequences.
