Sharp reaction from Özgür Özel: "The main culprit of the Super Cup crisis is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan"

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel answered questions from journalists in Manisa. 

While there, Özel made statements regarding who his party's mayoral candidate for Manisa would be and about the Super Cup match that was planned to be played in Saudi Arabia but was subsequently canceled.

"IT CANNOT BE PLAYED ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF TURKEY"

Responding to a question regarding the Super Cup final, which was planned to be played in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh but was postponed following debates that began yesterday afternoon, Özel said, "The main culprit here is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who made Atatürk a subject of negotiation."

Özel used the following expressions:

"I have been saying for months; if Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray are going to play a Super Cup match, it cannot be played anywhere outside of Turkey. This would have been fitting for the Atatürk Stadium in İzmir, but they did not listen. If you are going to hold it abroad, there is one excuse, and that would be in the TRNC, a place we consider as much of a homeland as this. It cannot be played anywhere, but it certainly cannot be played in Saudi Arabia. Do they go to Anıtkabir when they come here? Do they show respect for the National Anthem? This is how such a disgrace happens.

We are all ashamed, we are very reactive, but the fault lies neither with the clubs nor with the TFF, which will be forced to take all the blame by being made to resign. The fault lies with Erdoğan, who says, 'I know everything.' The main culprit who made Atatürk and the National Anthem a subject of negotiation is Erdoğan. We are grateful to Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, to Beşiktaş for supporting them, and to all the clubs. They have put those in Saudi Arabia who overstepped their bounds, and those who sent the 100th-anniversary cup there, in their place."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

The Super Cup match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, which was planned to be played last night in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, was postponed following debates that began in the afternoon.

The plan to play the Super Cup final in Riyadh was canceled after the clubs' requests to take the field with Atatürk t-shirts and a banner reading 'Peace at home, peace in the world' were not accepted by Saudi authorities.

Following the debates and long meetings, the clubs did not take the field and returned to Turkey during the night.