Mansur Yavaş speaks out on 'Ankaragücü'! He reacts to 'relegation' claims

The discussions regarding violence in sports and potential penalties continue following the incident where Ankaragücü President Faruk Koca entered the pitch after the MKE Ankaragücü – Çaykur Rizespor match and punched FIFA-licensed referee Halil Umut Meler.

The Ankaragücü community, which has appointed İsmail Mert Fırat to replace Faruk Koca—who was arrested following the attack and forced to resign—is also awaiting the penalty to be issued. 

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, meanwhile, has reacted to the claims being voiced in the public sphere that "Ankaragücü will be relegated."

'WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THE PENALTY BEING IMPOSED ON THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY'

In a statement regarding the incident on his social media account, Yavaş said, "The mistakes made by individuals should not be attributed to the 113-year-old MKE Ankaragücü community." 

Yavaş's post is as follows:

"The incident that took place after the MKE Ankaragücü - Çaykur Rizespor match played on Monday, December 11, which no one approves of and which is contrary to the law of peace and brotherhood in sports as well as sportsmanship, has deeply saddened us all. Following the incident, all units of our state took action and the necessary legal process has been initiated against those responsible. Despite all this, we observe that some circles have begun to produce rhetoric that 'MKE Ankaragücü will be relegated' and that a campaign is being created that would harm the institutional structure of Ankara's century-old brand. We want it to be known that we will not accept an understanding where the penalty is applied to the entire community in the eyes of the public. Ankaragücü is the club of the War of Independence, the glorious victory of the Turks, and of the İmalat-ı Harbiye; it is the club of those who worked, produced, and gave their lives for this cause. It is never alone; it is a legacy left to us by our Great Leader (Atatürk). For all these reasons, I state once again that the mistakes made by individuals should not be attributed to the 113-year-old MKE Ankaragücü community, and I sincerely believe that the entire public will act with sensitivity on this matter. Respectfully..."