Prison sentence sought for Turkish football club chair over punching referee to ground

Ankara prosecutors have sought up to 13 years in total in prison for Turkish Super League club Ankaragücü Chair Faruk Koca over punching referee Halil Umut Meler to the ground. Koca is facing charges of “injuring a public official with a fracture in the field of sports due to their public duty,” “threatening,” and violating the law regarding violence in sports.

Thursday December 14 2023 06:49 pm

Duvar English

Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has prepared an indictment against four people, including Turkish Super League club Ankaragücü Chair Faruk Koca, regarding the attack against referee Halil Umut Meler after a match.

On Dec. 11 evening at the end of a Super League match after a 1-1 draw with visiting club Rizespor, Ankaragücü Chair Faruk Koca entered the pitch and punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face. The official was then kicked while lying on the pitch covering his head.

Koca was arrested the next day and the football federation halted all matches until next week.

The prosecutors sought from three years, four months to 10 years, one month and 15 days in prison for Koca over “injuring a public official with a fracture in the field of sports due to their public duty,” from six months to two years for “threatening,” and from three months to one year for violating the law regarding violence in sports. The other suspects are facing similar charges.

The prosecutors also requested all suspects be banned from matches, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Dec. 14.

Faruk Koca was a member of parliament from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) between 2002 and 2011. He resigned from the party on Dec. 14.