Turkey ‘razor attack’ footballer hit with travel ban as investigation launched

Public prosecutors in Turkey have launched an investigation into claims that lower league player Mansur Calar attacked four rivals with a razor blade at a match. Calar has been hit with a travel ban while the case is ongoing.

The shocking scenes from Saturday’s game between Amed SK – also known as Amedspor – and Sakaryaspor in Turkey’s third footballing tier made headlines around the world, after Amedspor's Calar was accused of inflicting cuts on rivals players with a razor blade.

Oppositions players revealed what they said were cuts caused by Calar during several flashpoints which began before the game had even kicked off.

TV footage shown appeared to show Calar with an object in his hand as the teams lined up before the game, and he was also seen clashing with Sakaryaspor players including Ferhat Yazgan,whose throat he was seen grabbing.

Sakaryaspor have said that four players suffered injuries from a “sharp object,” and Turkey’s Anadolu Agency now says public prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into the claims.

Calar has also been handed a travel ban while the case is ongoing.

The two teams and their fans have clashed bitterly in the past in a rivalry that reflects tensions within Turkey.

Saturday’s game was played at Amedspor’s home stadium in Diyarbakir, a Kurdish-dominated city in southeast Turkey.

Sakaryaspor hail from Adapazari, northwest Turkey, which is seen as a bastion of support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who in recent years has launched a crackdown on Kurdish separatist groups designated as terrorists. That included military operations two years ago in Diyarbakir.

When the two teams met at Sakaryaspor earlier in the season, Amedspor players and staff said they were targeted by fans, while the giant screen in the stadium reportedly showed footage of military operations.

Amedspor have firmly denied the claims against their player, questioning the Sakaryaspor players’ version of events and calling the allegations an attempt to tarnish their reputation. The club have also accused the media of stirring tensions in the case. 

The game at the weekend finished 1-1 after both sides converted penalties. Sakaryaspor sit fourth in the TFF Second League, while Amed are eighth.