Turkish police detain 11 for wearing masks of JİTEM member at Amedspor game 

Duvar English

Turkish police on Aug. 31 detained 11 individuals after photos of Sakaryaspor fans donning offensive masks during a game against the Kurdish-majority Amedspor of the Diyarbakır province. 

The Amedspor faced Sakaryaspor on Aug. 28 at Istanbul Olympic Stadium.

After the match, images shared on social media revealed that Sakaryaspor fans wore masks of Mahmut Yıldırım’s face, a former member of the clandestine state security unit JİTEM, responsible for dozens of unsolved murders and disappearances in the 1990s.

The fans were seen wearing these masks at the game. The images sparked outrage, prompting the Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation.

Meanwhile, Gökhan İn, who had been serving as Sakaryaspor’s club president for nearly two months, announced his resignation after the match.

Some Amedspor fans who shared the images on social media called upon the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the judiciary to take action against the incident, according to reporting by the daily Yeni Yaşam. 

In 2023, footballers of Amedspor were again subjected to a racist attack during a league match against Bursaspor. Some people in the tribunes unfurled posters of “White Toros” and Mahmut Yıldrım during the match. 

“White Toros” – an old vehicle specially designed for Turkish drivers by French Renault’s local representative – symbolized the embodiment of state fear in the 1990s in Turkey's southeast.

Hundreds of Kurdish people became victims of enforced disappearances in Turkey during this period, abducted by JİTEM with Toros brand. Mahmut Yıldırım, known by the code name “Green,” also played a role in these notorious murders.