“May Allah's curse be on whoever organized, took part in this betrayal”
Turkey’s ultranationalist mafia kingpin Alaattin Cakici slammed Besiktas and Fenerbahce fans of “betrayal”, who called on Erdogan’s government to resign over its response to Feb.6 earthquakes.
“May Allah's curse be on whoever organized and took an active part in these betrayals. Those who are loyal to the state and the nation will never forget this betrayal,” Cakici wrote on Twitter on Monday.
— Alaattin Çakıcı (@alattincakici) February 27, 2023
On the weekend, the fans of Besiktas and Fenerbahce football clubs have protested Turkish government’s response to the major earthquakes that hit the country’s southeast, killing almost 45,000 people.
Thousands in the tribunes chanted slogans for the government’s “resignation” during their teams’ games.
Following the fans’ protest, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ultranationalist governing ally MHP’s leader Devlet Bahceli has resigned from his Besiktas membership and called on the two clubs to "urgently taking steps to play the games either without spectators or with the necessary precautions".
Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu also threatened football fans with “shields of safety”.
"Those who think we are busy with earthquake response should not think that we will not raise our shields for safety," Soylu said.