Will Faruk Koca receive a prison sentence, what does the law say?

Ankaragücü President Faruk Koca's physical assault on FIFA-licensed referee Halil Umut Meler following the 1-1 draw against Çaykur Rizespor has dominated the agenda.

The incident, which has gone down in Turkish football history as a dark night, also received extensive coverage in the world press.

While Halil Umut Meler filed a complaint, Faruk Koca and 5 others were taken into custody regarding the incident. Koca has been referred to the courthouse.

Whether Faruk Koca will receive a prison sentence has become a matter of public curiosity.

Lawyer Serkan Günel explained the details regarding the sentence that Ankaragücü's Faruk Koca should receive during a live broadcast on NTV with the following words:

“We have a law numbered 68/22 on the prevention of violence in sports. Article 20 of this law, which was enacted in 2011, very clearly states that referees, observers, field commissioners, and representatives serving in sports competitions are considered public officials in terms of crimes committed against them in connection with their duties. Therefore, I want to underline that regardless of what our referee does under normal circumstances—whether he is a dentist or a lawyer—he is considered a public official due to this duty. In this respect, it will be classified as a crime committed against a person due to the public duty they perform, as stated in clause 'c' of the 3rd paragraph of Article 86 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) regarding the crime of intentional injury, and the sentence will be increased by half. In other words, if we foresee a punishment of up to 3 years in its simple form, it will be increased by half, effectively foreseeing a punishment of up to 4.5 years."