Turkey
An Amedspor player taking a corner kick while fans throw objects onto the pitch during a game with Bursaspor on March 5, 2023. Photo: Amedspor/Instagram
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least seven people were arrested over the physical altercations and anti-Kurdish banners that were raised during a football match between Bursaspor and Diyarbakir-based Amedspor, said the Bursa governor office on Sunday.
Videos on social media showed Bursaspor fans throwing knives, bullets, and water bottles onto the pitch before the match began, while chanting racist slogans against Kurds and raising banners depicting Turkish paramilitary figures accused of killing Kurds in Diyarbakir (Amed) in the 1990s.
Tensions also escalated between players of the teams, as Bursaspor players stormed the pitch before the match and started a fight with their opponents. Amedspor said that their players were also attacked by Bursaspor security personnel and club staff in the locker rooms after the match was over.
The Bursa governor’s office said later in the evening that legal measures were taken against those involved in raising the banners, as well as those behind the attack that occurred after the match, announcing that seven people have been arrested as a result.
The statement also announced that three public officers have been removed from their positions in light of the incident.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu called the incident “unacceptable” and stated that an investigation has been initiated against the officials who “showed weakness” in preventing the entry of the controversial posters.
The Diyarbakir Bar Association said they have filed a complaint with the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against those involved in Sunday’s incident, calling on the judiciary to take action against the “dark and ugly threat.”
The Turkish Football Federation is yet to comment on the situation.
Amedspor players received a warm welcome from avid fans upon their return to Diyarbakir on Monday.
Amedspor has been subjected to several controversies in Turkey for the past few years after it changed its name to reflect the Kurdish name of the city of Diyarbakir, Amed.
The team often faces nationalist and anti-Kurdish chants during their away games, leading to violence.
In September, five people were arrested for raising the Kurdistan flag during an Amedspor game, though they were later released.
The Turkish government often associates Kurdish symbols like the Kurdistan flag to Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), arresting those waving it under terror charges.
Additional reporting by Azhi Rasul
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