Violence & Brawls ·
A Club President’s Punch Suspends Turkey’s Football Leagues
Faruk Koca struck referee Halil Umut Meler after a 1-1 draw in Ankara. Koca disputed the nature and effect of the contact; a court later sentenced him for intentional injury, according to an AFP report.
The match was over when Faruk Koca entered the pitch. On December 11, 2023, MKE Ankaragücü had drawn 1-1 with Çaykur Rizespor in Ankara after conceding an equalizer in the 97th minute. Footage broadcast by TRT showed the Ankaragücü president entering the field and striking referee Halil Umut Meler after the final whistle. Meler fell and was then kicked amid the melee.
Fans had also invaded the pitch, and the identities of those who kicked Meler were unclear. Police helped the referee reach the dressing room. Meler, 37, was a FIFA referee who had officiated a Champions League group match between Lazio and Celtic less than two weeks earlier. He was taken to a hospital.
The Associated Press reported that Meler had a slight fracture near his eye but was not in serious condition. Mehmet Yörübülut, chief doctor of Acıbadem hospital, said the bleeding in Meler’s left eye had begun to decrease and that there would be no permanent damage. The fracture would gradually heal, he said, and there was no brain damage.
The Turkish Football Federation responded by suspending matches in all leagues until further notice after an emergency board meeting. “We say enough is enough,” federation president Mehmet Büyükekşi said. He blamed a broader culture of hostility toward referees, including statements by club presidents, managers, coaches and television commentators.
On December 12, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that Koca had been ordered arrested pending trial on a charge of injuring a public official. Two suspects accused of kicking Meler were also arrested, while three others were released on condition that they report regularly to police. The investigation was continuing.
Koca gave a contrary account of the contact. During questioning, he denied causing injury and insisted that he had only slapped Meler, according to HaberTurk reporting cited by the Associated Press. Demirören News Agency quoted him telling the court: “The slap I gave would not cause a fracture.” Koca also blamed the incident on what he called the referee’s wrongful decisions and provocative behavior, and claimed Meler had thrown himself to the ground. Several days later, Koca apologized and resigned as club president but continued to insist that his team had been cheated.
Almost a year later, on November 11, 2024, AFP reported, citing Anadolu’s account of the court decision, that Koca had been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for “intentional injury to a public sports official.” The report also said he received six months and 20 days for making threats and a five-month suspended sentence for violating the law on violence prevention in sports.