Can 'night of shame' turn a page in Turkey's violent soccer culture?

A punch delivered by a politically linked soccer official to an elite referee last week has reopened Pandora’s box on violence and impunity in soccer, Turks’ favorite sport that has been dogged by economic woes, bad governance and cronyism.

The chain of events that dragged in a former ally of the president and international soccer bodies started Monday night at the end of a nail-biting soccer match in Turkey’s Super Lig between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor in Ankara. A last-minute goal by Caykur Rize, a feisty team from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hometown, robbed the home team of victory, ending in a 1-1 draw. Minutes after the referee blew the final whistle, Ankaragucu’s president Faruk Koca, one of the founding members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who served as its lawmaker between 2002-2011, stormed the field and punched referee Halil Umut Meler, knocking him to the ground. Two of Koca’s aides kicked him several times as the referee lay on the grass, his hands protecting his face. The security guards then accompanied the referee team off the field. Meler, one of Turkey’s internationally known FIFA referees who has officiated big games, was hospitalized.

As photos of Koca’s punch, the referee being kicked and fans throwing objects onto the field went viral, one of the first reactions came from the presidency. Erdogan, a soccer fan whose youthful dreams of becoming a professional player were thwarted by his father, condemned the attack in clear language. “I condemn the attack on … Meler. Sport means peace and brotherhood,” he posted on X. “We will never allow violence to occur in Turkish sports.”