Turkey has condemned Greece for allegedly mistreating a Turkish sports club during an international handball match held in Greece this month.
The incident took place on 13 September at the European Handball Federation Cup in Veria, where Turkish club Muratpaşa Belediyespor was playing against Greece’s PAOK.
According to managers from Muratpaşa Belediyespor, Greek authorities did not allow the Turkish flag to be hung up at the Filippio Sports Hall. Meanwhile a Greek flag was on display.
Meanwhile it was also reported that PAOK fans hurled racist insults and spat on the Turkish plays.
Muratpaşa Belediyespor’s Fulya Naime Bozyurt said she was left feeling horrified and anxious by the behaviour of fans.
“What fans did was disgusting,” she said.
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It is alleged that it was not permitted to hang a Turkish flag, alongside the Greek.
One player said that she was intimidated by the behaviour exhibited by PAOK fans. Photo: sonsoz.com.tr
Condemning the treatment on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said that the behaviour exhibited at the final was a reflection of the “ugly face of ultranationalist and racist circles” in Greece.
“We cannot accept the prevention of displaying of the Turkish flag despite a pre-match decision to do so,” said Mr Aksoy.
“We call upon relevant authorities in Greece to take all measures, to ban xenophobic, pro-violence fans from sports events.”
Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoğlu also condemned the treatment of the Turkish team.
“The treatment towards the women’s handball team of Muratpaşa Belediyespor is not acceptable,” said Mr Kasapoğlu.
“Misconducts and attacks on our team are never compatible with the peaceful and friendly spirit of the sport.”
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He added that not allowing the team to hang a Turkish flag goes against the spirit of the international competition.
The Minister also said that Turkey is looking to launch a legal action against Greece for the incident.
Muratpaşa Belediyespor was eliminated from the tournament, losing the first game to PAOK 32-25. The second game was a draw 24-24.