There were chaotic scenes in the game between Bursaspor and Amedspor in the second Turkish football league – the board of directors of the club from the Kurdish metropolis of Diyarbakir spoke of racism against players on Monday. Fans of the host Bursaspor verbally and physically attacked the footballers during the game on Sunday, the club management said. Amedspor has been confronted with racism and discrimination for many years.
Pictures showed Amedspor goalkeeper Cantug Temel falling to the ground on Sunday after apparently being hit by an object. Players attacked each other, the police tried to protect themselves from raining objects with shields. The game was not stopped despite the chaotic scenes and ended 2-1 for Bursaspor.
The board further explained that the hostilities had already begun on Saturday evening in front of the players’ hotel in Bursa. There they were racially insulted by a group. The board accused the authorities of not having intervened and called for consequences. At the game on Sunday, posters were also held up that symbolized the persecution of the Kurds in the 1990s. The “political messages” conveyed during the game were directed against the entire Kurdish people.
Bursaspor shared a video on Twitter showing riots during a match between the two sides in Diyarbakir in September. It was said that one would have wished for the same sensitivity at the time. The club is above politics. Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said investigations had been launched and officials responsible had been suspended.
