Turkish Football League Gets Resumption Date After Referee Brutality

The chairman of the Turkish Football Federation, Mehmet Buyukeksi, has confirmed that the country’s league will resume on December 19, over a week after it was halted.

The Turkish authorities halted the football league after referee Halil Umut Meler was brutalized by Ankaragucu’s president, Faruk Koca, following Monday’s 1-1 draw with Caykur Rizespor. Other members of the club also joined the club’s president in brutalizing the referee.

After the incident, prosecutors took statements from Koca and two other suspects, and three additional people were placed under court supervision, according to Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc.

Meler, who had a swollen eye due to the on-field attack, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old, one of Turkey’s best referees, works for FIFA officiating international matches.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Buyukeksi stated that he still anticipates Meler to serve as an official at the 2024 European Championship in Germany since he is listed by Uefa as an elite referee.

The FA chief stressed that Meler has “no possibility” of quitting refereeing over the attack.

“We expect Halil Umut Meler to take part in Euro 2024. There is no possibility of him quitting refereeing right now,” said Buyukeksi.

On the resumption of elite Turkish football, the FA chairman added: “We had decided to postpone the matches in all leagues indefinitely. With the decision we took today, all leagues will restart on Tuesday, December 19.”

The games that were postponed for this week will be played on January 10.