Competing in UEFA Nations League C League 1st Group, Turkey National Football Team played a match against Lithuania at İzmir Gürsel Aksel Stadium on the evening of 14 June 2022. At the 56th minute of the match, the slogan “We do not want refugees in the country” was shouted.
After the match, the prosecutor’s office and the police took action. Police teams detained four people, whose identities and home addresses were determined, and who were learned to be members of the Fenerbahçe fan group, around 10:30 yesterday morning on the grounds that they chanted this slogan.
According to the news of Gökmen Ulu from Sözcü, Colak, Colak, Kose and Dursun, who were taken into custody, were first taken to the İzmir Provincial Security Directorate Sports Security Branch Directorate and then to the Extortion Bureau. The youth, who were transferred to the İzmir Courthouse in Bayraklı after their statements were taken at the Police Department, were released with a pending trial and a ban on leaving the country, following the statements made at the prosecutor’s office.
Colak, one of the four people detained for chanting the slogan in question, said, “Not only us, but all four tribunes chanted ‘We do not want refugees in the country’. Everyone said. But apparently they chose us as the scapegoat. Honestly, the police were also surprised during the deposition at the Police Station. They told us, “You entered from the outside en masse,” but there were four of us. “Did someone organize you? They asked, “Did you receive instructions from someone to chant this slogan?” Of course, there is no such thing, we chanted a slogan in which we expressed our feelings and thoughts with our free will. This is not a crime,” he said.
Prosecutor: WE ARE REFUGEES IN IZMIR
Colak continued his explanations as follows: “The prosecutor told me; ‘Where are you from?’ I said that I was originally from Rize. The prosecutor said, “I am from Samsun. We are currently living in İzmir. We are also refugees in Izmir. What would happen if the people of Izmir did not want us? I said, ‘Dear prosecutor, do you really think like that? It is not the same thing… I am a citizen of Turkey, how do you compare this to refugees crossing the border irregularly and undocumented?’ I replied. The prosecutor made no reply but warned me not to incite anti-refugee hatred and to accept cohabitation with refugees. This approach shocked me. What I will say is this: We do not want to be refugees in our own country. The slogan we chant is not legally a crime. Probably because they did not know what to do, they took action against us within the scope of the Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence in Sports. However, we did not use any violence. Our athletes were also not adversely affected by our slogan. We were released after the proceedings. We look forward to how they will file a lawsuit.”
Why? I mean you may not agree with it but it’s a chant at a football game and given football’s reputation, not even a particularly bad one by the sound of it.
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Competing in UEFA Nations League C League 1st Group, Turkey National Football Team played a match against Lithuania at İzmir Gürsel Aksel Stadium on the evening of 14 June 2022. At the 56th minute of the match, the slogan “We do not want refugees in the country” was shouted.
After the match, the prosecutor’s office and the police took action. Police teams detained four people, whose identities and home addresses were determined, and who were learned to be members of the Fenerbahçe fan group, around 10:30 yesterday morning on the grounds that they chanted this slogan.
According to the news of Gökmen Ulu from Sözcü, Colak, Colak, Kose and Dursun, who were taken into custody, were first taken to the İzmir Provincial Security Directorate Sports Security Branch Directorate and then to the Extortion Bureau. The youth, who were transferred to the İzmir Courthouse in Bayraklı after their statements were taken at the Police Department, were released with a pending trial and a ban on leaving the country, following the statements made at the prosecutor’s office.
Colak, one of the four people detained for chanting the slogan in question, said, “Not only us, but all four tribunes chanted ‘We do not want refugees in the country’. Everyone said. But apparently they chose us as the scapegoat. Honestly, the police were also surprised during the deposition at the Police Station. They told us, “You entered from the outside en masse,” but there were four of us. “Did someone organize you? They asked, “Did you receive instructions from someone to chant this slogan?” Of course, there is no such thing, we chanted a slogan in which we expressed our feelings and thoughts with our free will. This is not a crime,” he said.
Prosecutor: WE ARE REFUGEES IN IZMIR
Colak continued his explanations as follows: “The prosecutor told me; ‘Where are you from?’ I said that I was originally from Rize. The prosecutor said, “I am from Samsun. We are currently living in İzmir. We are also refugees in Izmir. What would happen if the people of Izmir did not want us? I said, ‘Dear prosecutor, do you really think like that? It is not the same thing… I am a citizen of Turkey, how do you compare this to refugees crossing the border irregularly and undocumented?’ I replied. The prosecutor made no reply but warned me not to incite anti-refugee hatred and to accept cohabitation with refugees. This approach shocked me. What I will say is this: We do not want to be refugees in our own country. The slogan we chant is not legally a crime. Probably because they did not know what to do, they took action against us within the scope of the Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence in Sports. However, we did not use any violence. Our athletes were also not adversely affected by our slogan. We were released after the proceedings. We look forward to how they will file a lawsuit.”
Why? I mean you may not agree with it but it’s a chant at a football game and given football’s reputation, not even a particularly bad one by the sound of it.