Turkey: Football fans call on government to resign

Thousand of Turkish football fans during a game on Saturday chanted slogans calling on the government to resign over its failures in its response to the disaster caused by the twin earthquakes on 6 February.

Fans of Fenerbahce, one of the three Istanbul teams known as the "Big Three," started chanting "government should resign" during the game Fenerbahce played at home against visiting Konyaspor.

Also the slogan "Lies lies lies, tricks tricks, tricks, resign, it's been 20 years," was raised from Fenerbahce stands.

Bu görüntüler o kadar korkutuyor o kadar rahatsız ediyor ki kendini yenilmez ve ölümsüz sananları… Geliyor gelmekte olan… #cokusdonemi #İSTİFAULAN #Fenerbahce pic.twitter.com/ZFgVvZMsyh

— Who? (@who98408150) February 25, 2023

The broadcaster swiftly turned down the volume to fade out the slogans as it went on broadcasting, but the instants caught on cameras instantly began to circulate and got viral in social media, the hashtags #Fenerbahce and #istifaulan (resign) quickly becoming trending.

This was followed by twitter campaigns by government supporters, some of whom targeted Ali Koc, the president of Fenerbahce Sports Club and a member of one of the wealthiest and influential families in Turkey, and some claiming that the protesting fans were but a small group among the spectators.

There has been no mention of the fans' protest in government media.

The administration of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is heavily criticized in Turkey both for having allowed construction of vulnerable buildings without any earthquake resistant features, and over fatal delays and shortages in search and rescue operations and aid deliveries.