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Ankaragucu club president Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face after their Super Lig home match against Rizespor on December 11. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has halted all leagues, and a court has issued an arrest order for Ankaragucu's president on December 12.
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After MKE Ankaragucu conceded a 96th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 Super Lig draw with Caykur Rizespor, the team's president Koca ran onto the pitch and knocked referee Meler to the ground.
Following the match, Ankaragucu fans invaded the pitch, and when Meler fell, he was also kicked, though it remained unclear who the assailants were. With the help of the police, Meler eventually reached the dressing room.
The 37-year-old Meler is a prominent Turkish referee who officiates international games for FIFA. Additionally, he is included in UEFA's elite referee list.
“The Turkish Football Federation has decided to suspend all games in all leagues indefinitely,” the federation posted on X.
“The related club, the club chairman, club officials and all those guilty of attacking referee Umut Meler will be punished in the strongest terms possible.”
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also commented on the matter and expressed his well-wishes for the swift recovery of the match referee.
“I condemn the attack on referee Halil Umut Meler after the MKE Ankaragucu-Caykur Rizespor match played this evening, and I wish him a speedy recovery,” he wrote on X.
“Sports means peace and brotherhood. Sport is incompatible with violence. We will never allow violence to take place in Turkish sports”, he added.
For physically charging the referee who was doing his duty, Koca will be detained after Meler’s medical treatment ends. He was taken to a health facility after the incident, as stated by Turkey's Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tung, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ali Yerlikaya.
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