Turkish soccer matches to renew on Dec. 19 after suspension attributable to assault on referee

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish soccer league matches, suspended after a referee was attacked by the president of a top-flight membership, will resume on Dec. 19, the pinnacle of the Turkish Football Federation mentioned Wednesday.

Mehmet Buyukeksi additionally informed reporters that the federation’s disciplinary board would announce on Thursday the punitive measures to be imposed on MKE Ankaragucu and its president, Faruk Koca, who has since been arrested.

Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler within the face on the sphere after the ultimate whistle of a 1-1 attract a Super Lig dwelling recreation towards Caykur Rizespor on Monday. The referee, who fell to the bottom, was additionally kicked in a melee as followers invaded the taking part in floor after Rizespor scored a last-minute equalizer.

The assault led to the suspension of all league video games in Turkey, which has been chosen to co-host the 2032 European Championship with Italy.

“All league games will restart on Tuesday, Dec. 19,” Buyukeksi introduced after a federation assembly, including that “zero tolerance” can be proven towards assaults on referees.

“What happened during the Ankaragucu-Rizespor match is completely unacceptable,” he mentioned. “We will not allow attacks or disproportionate pressure on our referees, who are an important part of the game.”

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc introduced on X, the social media platform previously often called Twitter, that the federal government was contemplating tightening legal guidelines designed to stop violence in sports activities.

“We will re-evaluate the penal provisions (of the law for the) Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports, in terms of (increasing) deterrence,” Tunc wrote. “We will all work together to turn the green (soccer) fields into areas for friendship and brotherhood.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Meler was discharged from hospital after being handled for a fracture close to his eye.

He walked out of Ankara’s Acibadem Hospital and raised his hand to salute the assembled media earlier than getting into a automobile. The state-run Anadolu Agency mentioned Meler would journey to his dwelling in Izmir, western Turkey, escorted by police for cover.

The hospital’s chief doctor Mehmet Yorubulut informed reporters that the referee’s morale was excessive.

“He has no problems other than the swelling in his eye,” Yorubulut mentioned, including that the fracture would heal in time.

Buyukeksi dismissed experiences that Meler was contemplating quitting, saying the referee was anticipated to officiate on the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

“Halil Umut Meler is a highly respected referee by both UEFA and FIFA,” Buyukeksi mentioned. “We expect him to take part in Euro 2024.”

Koca and two different individuals have been positioned beneath pre-trial detention, dealing with expenses of inflicting harm to a public official.

Koca is reported to have informed prosecutors throughout questioning that he merely slapped Meler, accusing the referee of “wrongful decisions” and provocative actions.

He later introduced his resignation.

“I apologize to the Turkish referee and sports community, to the Turkish people and especially to Mr. Meler and his family for the attitude I displayed toward Halil Umut Meler,” he mentioned in a press release learn by his lawyer late Tuesday.

Media experiences cited Meler as telling prosecutors that the membership president shouted “I will kill you” in the course of the assault and in addition threatened to “finish off” all of the match officers on the sphere.

Violence in soccer is commonplace in Turkey regardless of efforts to clamp down on it, though direct assaults on top-level referees are uncommon.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer