Turkey: Old friend of Erdogan falls from grace after punching a referee

The Turkish football league has been indefinitely suspended after the president of MKE Ankaragucu punched a referee after a match on Monday night in Ankara, in an incident that has shocked the country.

Police arrested Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca on Tuesday on the charge of attacking a public official, and the court remanded two other club officials. 

The referee, Halil Umut Meler, was hospitalised with a swollen face after getting punched and kicked during the scuffle. He is still recovering in hospital. 

"The investigation is continuing meticulously," Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunc said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. 

After the attack, former referee Ali Kunak announced that Meler had decided to quit his profession.

Kunak, who visited Meler in hospital, said: "He told me, this is over, that's all from me."

Turkish newspapers have described the incident as "Turkish football's dark night".

The headline on the front page of Fotomac, a sports daily, said: "A punch of shame." Another, Fanatik, used just one word: "Scandal." 

Meler sent off Ankaragucu player Ali Sowe by brandishing a second yellow card in the 50th minute of the match. The decision enraged Ankaragucu fans in the stands, creating a febrile atmosphere.

'Faruk Koca told me alongside my fellow match officials: "I will finish you." Addressing me, he said: "I will kill you"'

- Halil Umut Meler, referee

Ankaragucu's opponents Caykur Rizespor then scored a goal in the last minute, earning a draw.

In his statement to investigators, Koca said the incident was sparked by the referee’s “wrong decisions” and “provocative behaviour”.

Koca added that he approached the referee with the intention of “spitting in his face” rather than attacking him. 

“At one point, I slapped the referee in the face,” he said.

“The slap I threw will not cause fractures. After the slap I gave, the referee stood for about 5-10 seconds and then threw himself on the ground. They immediately removed me from the scene because I had heart disease. I am not aware of any events that took place other than this. That's all I have to say. “ 

Meler, meanwhile, said he fell to the ground after Koca hit him under his left eye and threatened to kill him.

“While I was on the ground, all the people [around me] kicked me in the face and other parts of my body many times,” he said. “Faruk Koca told me alongside my fellow match officials: 'I will finish you.' Addressing me, he said: 'I will kill you.' "

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan quickly condemned the incident, posting on X: “Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports.” 

Erdogan also called the referee and wished him a speedy recovery on Tuesday, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. 

Koca is an old friend of the president and a founder of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). He served as an AKP member of parliament for two terms, between 2002 to 2011. 

Koca was instrumental in rescuing Erdogan in 2006 when he was accidentally locked in his car while falling unconscious, after a drop in his blood sugar level. Koca smashed the car window, striking it with a hammer for 10 minutes until he got in. 

History of violence

The AKP said on Monday night that it had referred Koca to the party's disciplinary board, with the recommendation that he be expelled. He is expected to be forced out of the party later this week. 

Last year, Koca received a fair-play award from the Turkish football federation. "I will do my best to keep the fair-play spirit alive," he said at the time. "Receiving this award puts more responsibility on us in the steps we will take from now on."

'It has to stop. We will announce how we move forward, but we know we cannot continue like this'

- Mete Kalkavan, Turkish referee

Violence in Turkish football is nothing new. An Ankaragucu fan invaded the pitch in September, kicking a Besiktas player. In April, hundreds of spectators invaded the pitch during a match between Trabzonspor and Antalyaspor. 

In 2012, Fenerbahce fans set their stadium in Istanbul on fire after losing the championship. 

Over the years, authorities have attempted to increase security, putting several measures in place including facial recognition technology. Yet an aggressive culture persists.

On Tuesday, a delegation of referees made a televised statement, insisting that violence, threats and insults towards referees must come to an end.

“It has to stop. We will announce how we move forward, but we know we cannot continue like this,” delegation spokesperson Mete Kalkavan said.