‘Diyarbakırspor incidents work of provocateurs’

The İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor-Diyarbakırspor week 25 match at İstanbul’s Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium on Sunday was called off in the 87th minute after a group of Diyarbakırspor fans threw objects onto the field and others invaded the pitch.

In remarks made yesterday, Diyarbakırspor Chairman Sümer said, “These fans are not our fans,” expressing his suspicion that the provocateurs might have had an ulterior motive.

Diyarbakırspor could be declared the loser by default if it is determined that its fans caused the trouble. The Diyarbakırspor-Bursaspor match in week 24 was also called off, and Diyarbakırspor risks losing this match by default, too. That would mean automatic relegation for Diyarbakırspor because the Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) rulebook says if a team is declared a loser by default twice in a season, that team must go down. Sunday’s match started in a very friendly atmosphere, and the players on the pitch were also well behaved.

No player from either team was booked by referee Hüseyin Göçek but when former Sivas striker Hervé Tum scored in the 87th minute for İstanbul Büyükşehir, all hell broke loose. Some Diyarbakırspor fans threw stones and other projectiles onto the pitch while others actually stormed it. Security officials intervened, manhandled the troublemakers, and the referee went to his dressing room. İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor fans followed him. All eyes are now on the TFF to see what action it will take. In response to a question on what he thinks will happen next, Sümer said, “The TFF will decide that.”

The incident came nearly a week after the Diyarbakır-Bursaspor game last Saturday. That game was cancelled in the 17th minute when Diyarbakırspor fans started throwing items onto the field.  A journalist covering the match was seriously injured and taken to a hospital, and one of the referees was hit by a stone, causing him to fall to the ground.

In a match held in Bursa in November, events during the game between the Bursaspor and Diyarbakırspor teams became tense as a result of protests and slogans chanted by Bursaspor fans. It brought the Diyarbakırspor club to the point of considering withdrawing from the Super League.

At all Diyarbakırspor matches, the slogan most frequently shouted by supporters of the rival team is “[Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK out,” linking Diyarbakırspor with the outlawed PKK, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the US.

Since the promotion of Diyarbakırspor to the first division this year, the slogan has been heard more frequently than ever before. In the Bursaspor-Diyarbakırspor game in November, in which several Diyarbakırspor fans were injured, Diyarbakırspor stated that Bursaspor had not been adequately punished and did not offer a sufficient apology.

Although there have been no statements from the terrorist PKK, it is known that some circles inside the organization do not like Diyarbakırspor, seeing it as a project devised by the state.

In related developments, State Minister Faruk Özak said after the recent incidents that his ministry was working on a law against hooliganism. He said there will be a special court established for stadium crimes that will restrain fanatic supporters by making them check with their police stations at game time. “The special court will be set up really soon. Our preparations are almost over.”

Meanwhile, İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler also made a statement yesterday, saying there were no weaknesses in security. He criticized referee Hüseyin Gökçek for cancelling the game. “The referee has, unfortunately, acted hastily despite all my assurances that there were no security flaws that could obstruct the continuation of the game.” He said 950 officers and 200 private security guards were on duty on that day. “We don’t think canceling a game saying security measures are inadequate despite such a low number of spectators is the right decision.”

İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor player Serhat Gülpınar said that ahead of the game Diyarbakır supporters had applauded him and the other players. “The game started out well. I don’t know what happened after that. This harms Diyarbakır and our friends on that team. The fans should not have reacted like this. There must be measures taken against this.”

Meanwhile, 43 were detained during a brawl between Galatasaray and Ankaragücü supporters ahead of a game between the two teams on Sunday night. Stores and vehicles in the area were damaged in the fight. Another fight broke out during the game on the terraces, with one supporter being thrown off one of the tiers. He suffered broken bones in various parts of his body and a head injury. However, his condition was not critical. Galatasaray Deputy Chairman Haldun Üstünel and Futbol A.Ş. General Manager Adnan Sezgin rushed to the hospital where he had been taken.

A group of Diyarbakırspor fans threw objects onto the field during the İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor-Diyarbakırspor game at Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium on Sunday. ‘Fans react to injustice against Diyarbakır’ What happened during Sunday’s game is a result of past injustices Diyarbakırspor fans feel they have been subjected to, according to representatives of various organizations in the region. Galip Ensarioğlu, head of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DTSO), told press agencies yesterday that the Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) has failed to punish Bursaspor for incidents that occurred during a game between Bursa and Diyarbakır a week ago, causing disappointment for Diyarbakır fans. “The TFF did not take the necessary stance, so the supporters tried to do that in their stead. This is very wrong. What happened in Bursa, Diyarbakır and İstanbul on Sunday is not right. The fans should not be sparking incidents. There was also no reason to call off yesterday’s game. There were only 2,000 in attendance. What the İstanbul governor said is important,” he said, referring to Governor Muammer Güler’s announcement that he found it hard to understand why the referee chose to call off the game just three minutes before end time. “If Bursaspor had been punished properly, none of this would have happened,” he said. Deputy Diyarbakır Mayor Metin Kılavuz said sports worked to bring together different languages, religions and cultures. “It is not right to say that Diyarbakır is the only guilty party. There is no place for discrimination and violence in sports. What happened in İstanbul on Sunday and earlier in Diyarbakır is the consequence. It is the responsibility of those who haven’t issued any punishments for what happened in the Diyarbakır-Bursaspor game. There is nothing to defend here. But those who haven’t punished Bursaspor are directly responsible for this.” Erhan Akalın, head of the Diyarbakır Promotion Culture and Solidarity Foundation (DİTAV), said the incidents should not have been seen as a deed of the entire city. “We are very sorry about what happened. We do not approve of the incidents. Everybody thinks there was agitation and provocation. The federation should take the necessary measures. There was provocation, but the federation is also to blame here.” Diyarbakırspor Union of Associations President Ramazan Tugay also said he agreed that what happened on Sunday was the result of provocation. He also stated that those who ran onto the pitch had come to the game only to start a fight. “We tried to prevent them. They came to the game to do this. They used the 1-0 loss as an excuse. We think this is a provocation of those who are against the government’s initiative,” he said, referring to a government reform package seeking to extend cultural rights of Kurds to end terrorism. Tugay also stated that the federation not punishing Bursaspor as it should have played a role in the incidents. The Diyarbakırspor-Bursaspor match in week 24 was also called off, and Diyarbakırspor risks losing this match by default. That would mean automatic relegation for Diyarbakırspor because the Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) rulebook says if a team is declared a loser by default twice in a season, that team must go. Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) leader Selahattin Demirtaş also made a statement yesterday, saying the debate concerning Diyarbakırspor “merits concern.” He said the team should be able to stay in the first league with its players and coaches’ abilities and effort. “If the TFF believes that sports should also serve peace, brotherhood and social consensus, I think it should avoid making harsh decisions about Diyarbakırspor.” The TFF is expected to discuss the situation concerning Diyarbakırspor today. İstanbul Today’s Zaman