Diyarbakır mayor says too early to withdraw team from league

“We think it is too early to withdraw from the league. We hope the team administration will review its decision. We understand their intensity of feeling and believe everyone should understand it,” Baydemir stated on Tuesday. His remarks came in the wake of a decision by the Diyarbakırspor administration to boycott their match against Galatasaray this weekend. The team made the decision in reaction to racist slogans directed at them by Gaziantepspor fans during a soccer match on Sunday, accusing Diyarbakırspor of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Soccer pitches are not an arena to display racist feelings. If there are people who think to the contrary, they are making a great mistake,” Baydemir added.

Diyarbakırspor Chairman Çetin Sümer said racist slogans during matches have a negative psychological impact on players. “As the team’s chairman I am very disturbed by such slogans. I am worried,” he noted. However, no immediate comment was available from the team as to whether it still plans to boycott the Galatasaray match.

The team had announced its withdrawal from the league in late September after the extreme level of intolerance they experienced during a match at Bursaspor. The host team’s fans were hostile toward Diyarbakırspor players and fans, accusing them of being “separatists.”

Diyarbakır Governor Avni Mutlu said he would like all teams to continue their adventure in the league. “My personal conviction is that all teams should continue on their paths in the Super League. As Diyarbakır residents and Diyarbakırspor fans want this, no other option can be considered,” he noted.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also touched upon the Diyarbakırspor decision to withdraw during his parliamentary group speech yesterday. “Sports competitions are organized to boost friendship and brotherhood. Unfortunately, we have witnessed recently that sports are being made a tool for dirty provocations. Some circles are trying to damage the atmosphere of unity and solidarity with racist and discriminatory slogans,” he said and added that the withdrawal of Diyarbakırspor would further poison the atmosphere.