Galatasaray expels ex-players over alleged terror ties

ISTANBUL

Turkish football club Galatasaray expelled Sunday two former players publicly known to have ties with a terror group.

Galatasaray's management board voted in the extraordinary meeting to cancel the memberships of Hakan Sukur and Arif Erdem, two former Galatasaray players with international caps.

The club's board in its annual meeting on Saturday expelled several members due to their alleged or established links with Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) including former Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu and former judiciary member Zekeriya Oz, among others.

But Sukur and Erdem were voted to remain part of the club's membership.

On Saturday, Turkey's Sports and Youth Minister Akif Cagatay Kilic expressed discontent with the decision, saying: "The Galatasaray board need to correct the issue immediately.

"Traitors to our country and our state have no business in our established sports clubs,” the minister said. "The board's voting is inexplicable to the families of our martyrs and veterans," he added.

Both Sukur and Erdem were in the celebrated squad that won the UEFA Cup in 2000.

They are also known to be supporters of FETO leader Fetullah Gulen, who Ankara says masterminded the July 15 coup attempt.

The series of attacks that night pitted members of Turkish military against law enforcement officers and civilians. The attempted coup resulted in the deaths of 249 people and led to thousands of injuries, leaving an indelible mark on the psyche of the Turkish people.