2024-01-15T05:11:26+00:00
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/ Turkey arrested an Israeli football player on charges of “public incitement to hatred” after he placed on his wrist a message related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas during a match in the Turkish First Division League.
Turkish media reported that Israeli player Sagiv Yehezkel put a message on his wrist referring to the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7 and the 100 days that have passed since then during a match in the Turkish first division.
The Turkish Minister of Justice also announced the opening of an investigation on charges of “public incitement to hatred” against Israeli footballer Sagiv Yehezkel, who was also excluded by his club Antalyaspor.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tun said on the X platform, “The Antalya Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a judicial investigation against Israeli footballer Sagiv Yehezkel on charges of public incitement to hatred due to his hateful gesture in support of the massacre committed by Israel in Gaza.”
A number of Turkish media outlets, including the official Anadolu Agency and the private NTV channel, reported that the Israeli player was arrested yesterday evening, Sunday.
After scoring a goal during a match that took place on Sunday, the player revealed a message he had written on a bandage he wrapped around his wrist, which said: “100 days. 07/10.”
This short message refers to the 100 days that have passed since the attack launched by Hamas on October 7 on Israeli territory, and the Turkish Minister of Justice interpreted it as a testimony in support of the Israeli military operations taking place in the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack.
“We will continue to support the oppressed Palestinians,” the Turkish minister wrote, denouncing the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza.
The Antalyaspor club announced the exclusion of its Israeli player, accusing him of “behaving in a manner that contradicts the values of our country.”
Since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly described Israel as a “terrorist state,” saying that Hamas, which the European Union and a number of countries, including the United States, consider a terrorist group, is “a group of liberators.”