2024-01-19 10:08:02
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish first division club Basaksehir announced Thursday it was terminating the contract of Israeli soccer player Eden Karzev following a disciplinary investigation into a social media post in which he called for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Gaza by the Palestinian insurgent group Hamas.
The club’s decision came days following another Israeli player, Sagiv Jehezkel, was briefly detained in Turkey and questioned for alleged incitement to hatred when, following scoring in a Super League match, he showed his solidarity with the hostages captured in the assault. October 7 insurgency that sparked the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Antalyaspor winger returned to Israel on Monday, where he was greeted by a cheering crowd from the coastal city of Antalya where he played.
Karzev was also questioned by police in Istanbul following sharing a post on social media marking the hostages’ 100 days of captivity, with the hashtag #BringThemHomeNow.
Basaksehir then announced the opening of a disciplinary file, alleging that its action was “contrary to the sensitivity of our country.”
“In accordance with the disciplinary instructions to the clubs, the footballer was sanctioned and it was considered appropriate for him to continue his career abroad,” the team said in a statement following the investigation.
It is considered that the gestures of both footballers supported the Israeli offensive in Gaza although both Jehezkel and Karzev pointed out that their messages were requests to end the war between Israel and Hamas.
In Turkey there is widespread public opposition to the Israeli campaign in the besieged coastal enclave and overwhelming support for the Palestinians. The country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has accused Israel of acts bordering on “genocide” while he described Hamas as a group fighting for liberation.
Jehezkel’s arrest, meanwhile, caused outrage and widespread condemnation in Israel.
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