Israeli footballer Jehezkel leaves Turkey after temporal detention over war reference
Israeli player of Turkish Super League club Antalyaspor, Sagiv Jehezkel, has left Turkey after being temporarily detained over his gesture for showing the words "100 days 07.10" on the bandage on his wrist during a match. Başakşehir’s Israeli player Eden Kartsev was also temporarily detained for his social media post of “100 days,” marking 100 days since Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Duvar English
Turkish Super League club Antalyaspor’s Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel on Jan. 15 left Turkey after a brief detention over showing the inscription on his wrist reading "100 days 07.10" during a league match.
Antalyaspor Deputy Chair Alkan Evren told state-run Anadolu Agency that Jehezkel left Antalya to return to his country. The club excluded Jehezkel from the main squad after the incident.
In a statement, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also said “Antalyaspor's Israeli football player Sagiv Jehezkel left our country as of 17:15. I would like to point out once again that; Turkey is always on the side of all the oppressed and the Palestinian people.”
The move came after Jehezkel showed the inscription on his wrist reading "100 days 07.10" after scoring a goal against Trabzonspor in a league match, marking 100 days since Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
He was temporarily detained on charges of “inciting the public to hatred and enmity.”
In his testimony, Jehezkel said he did not anything "to provoke anyone. I am not a pro-war person. And after all, there are Israeli soldiers captured in Gaza."
"I am a person who believes that this 100-day period should come to an end. I want the war to end. That's why I showed the sign here. I am a person who has nothing to do with politics. I have never done anything related to politics since the day I arrived. I have never disrespected anyone since the day I arrived," he added.
On the other hand, another Super League club Başakşehir’s player Eden Kartsev was also temporarily detained for his social media post which read “100 days.”
The club announced that they initiated a disciplinary investigation into Kartsev.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also referred both players to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) for “ideological propaganda.”