Turkey is a country that is having lots of problems, both politically and economically. The country is also having a problem controlling the endless violence and disruptions caused by Turkish football fans. Hooliganism is a problem in many countries and Turkey is sadly known in the football world as having one of the most troubling football fans in the world. In this article I will go through hooliganism in Turkey.
Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray: “The Eternal Rivalry”
Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the most successful clubs in Turkey. The rivalry started back in 1934 when fans and even players from both teams started fighting each other. The derby is not only about football but politics as well. They are two major teams in Istanbul (one from the Asian part of Istanbul and the other from the European part of Istanbul). Success in Europe is not what defines these clubs, but rather the violence they cause in football games. In 2009, an assistant referee of the fixture between the two teams was struck with a lighter and he needed 5 stitches on his head. In recent years during the rivalry the fans: break seats, curse, fight and riot on the streets. Many violent incidents take place before and after the Derby. In 2013, two Galatasaray fans were stabbed to death by a Fenerbahce supporter.
Turkish National Team and Federation
The Turkish national team has some fantastic players (Arda Turan, Calhanoglu, Emre Mor etc.). However, it seem that the fans are getting more attention than the players. During the Euro 2016 tournament, Turkish fans posted terrifying and threatening pictures on social media. The photos had the Turkish national team shirt visible alongside a deadly weapon (Sun). Although this is just a minority of Turkish football fans, it is still something that should worry a lot of people. The Turkish football federation has tried to tighten the security to contain the hooliganism that is deep in Turkey’s football culture. In 2011, The Turkish football federation tried an unusual experiment to combat hooliganism. The federation banned men and let 41.000 women in for free (Telegraph). Of course, that is not a good solution to the problem. However, the vast,vast,vast majority of hooliganism and inappropriate behaviour in football matches is caused by men.
Turkey vs England
The clearest example of a rivalry between England and Turkey (in terms of hooliganism) is the 2000 UEFA Cup final between Galatasaray and Arsenal in Copenhagen. 3 fans suffered a stab injury (2 Arsenal supporters and one Turk) and a second Arsenal fan had been viciously attacked with an iron bar. Denmark’s security was not expecting this amount of violence that night. The police made at least 20 arrests and at one point the fans fought for about 20 minutes while the officers stood by. 20% of Denmark´s police force were on duty for the game (The Guardian). According to Football-hooligans.org, there was a huge anti-Turkey campaign in the UK, with some Brits wanting to ban Galatasaray from English football. That proposal surely does not improve the relationship between the two countries.
Conclusion (personal thoughts)
It is very clear that Turkey has a big problem with hooliganism. I believe that Turkey has the capability to change the hooligan culture for the better by trying to come up with new regulations and ideas to decrease this endless violence in football games in Turkey. Turkey’s strange rule to ban men and let women in for free tells me that the Federation is not afraid to execute some bizarre ideas.
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Post by: Ólafur Hálfdan Pálsson
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