the football stadiums, a ticking time bomb against the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan

IstanbulThe minute 4.17 arrives, the time when the first earthquake occurred, and thousands of stuffed animals fall on the pitch in memory of the thousands of children affected by the earthquake. The duel between Besiktas and Antalyaspor is stopped. The stadium stands, applause and many tears as it plays Another is My Hometown [La meva ciutat natal], a patriotic song that can be played both in an official event and in a protest in the streets. Everything happens at the Vodafone Arena, Besiktas’ stadium. An atypical and sad match, with a poor result (0-0) and little thought directed to what was happening on the pitch: it was the first football match after an earthquake in which, according to the government, more than 45,000 people have died. But before the players took to the pitch, with the stands almost full, a unison cry: “Government resign” [govern dimissió].

Few dare to do so in today’s Turkey for fear of going to jail, accused of insulting the president or labeled as terrorists. In fact, many teams have wanted to distance themselves from the cries against Erdogan’s government and have sent statements condemning the behavior of their fans. But something has changed for thousands of people to agree this weekend to call for his resignation, not only in the stadium of Besiktas but also in the stadium of Fenerbahçe, another of the giants of Ottoman football. There, the home side won comfortably 4-0 against Konyaspor, one of the teams that were eliminated, and consolidated their position in second place, behind Galatasary, in a Süper Lig completely affected by the earthquake.

And what competition is left after such a traumatic event? For now, two teams have already abandoned it. In the ranks of Hatayspor, from the city of Antioquia, they mourned the death of Ghanaian player Christian Atsu, 31 years old, who also played for Porto, Chelsea and Newcastle. He played his last game against Kasimpasa at home, a dream night in which he scored the winning goal in the 97th minute. But hours after touching glory, darkness – it took twelve days for his body to be found . And he’s not the only one on the team who left for good. The technical director, Taner Savut, lived in the same building, a complex – which was sold – of luxury and which collapsed into nothingness.

Faced with the disastrous landscape, football has also ceased to make sense for Gaziantep FK, a team located in one of the most affected cities, where 2,665 buildings collapsed. The team was saved because it was in Antalya on holiday, after playing against Antalyaspor.

The precedent of Gezi, the protests of ten years ago against Erdogan

Many remember the seed that was planted in the stadiums during the great Gezi protests of 2013, the agora of many opponents. That revolt brought together voices, communities and groups from all walks of life and colors. One of them, the Çarsi group, one of Besiktas’ most important entertainment platforms. Today, ten years after that revolt, up to 35 members are still in the dock for their attempt to bring down the government.

Turkish society has learned its lesson well: shouting in the street is dangerous. Where is the only space where it can be done? In the stadiums: not only do the big football clubs know it, so does a government that is currently playing on the opposite field. And the population, this past weekend, made it known to Erdogan, who with an election around the corner knows that it won’t be easy at all: if the economic crisis was a compelling reason to remove him from power, the management of the earthquake – for many, bloody – is definitive.

His ruling partner, ultra-nationalist party leader Devlet Bahçeli, expressed his displeasure at the opposition chants, suggested playing behind closed doors, and eventually ripped up his Besiktas membership card. Erdogan, for his part, did not comment on the action taken by the fans of Fenerbahçe, the same club that wanted to sign him when he was young and was more interested in football than rhetoric. This weekend the fans pointed directly at him, from the same stands that should have celebrated his goals: “Twenty years of lies and cheating. Resignation”.