CHP's Başarır reacts to Super Cup crisis: 'Let Rıza, Cüneyt, Oğuz, and Aykut take charge'

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır made assessments regarding the events surrounding the Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray match, which was scheduled to be played yesterday in Riyad, the capital of Saudi Arabia, but was subsequently postponed.

Başarır stated the following:

"THE BAD MINDSET GOVERNING THE COUNTRY RESISTED"

"All our citizens experienced great sadness. About 2 months ago, we learned of the decision to play the Super Cup Final in Saudi Arabia. Formerly known as the Presidential Cup, now the Super Cup; it is a match played every year between the team that becomes the champion in Turkey and the team that wins the Turkish Cup. For about 100 years, the Presidential Cup and the Super Cup have been played in various provinces of Turkey—in Izmir, Samsun, Ankara, Istanbul—and the winning team proudly lifts that cup, but we learned that this match would be played in Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh. As the CHP, we held a press conference in Parliament on November 7. We shared with the entire country that this was a lapse in judgment and a disgraceful decision. Immediately afterward, the presidents of our two major clubs also said they opposed this. Our deputies in Parliament made statements regarding this. Our Chairman said on television channels and at a press conference that this was an unacceptable situation, but despite this, the bad mindset governing the country resisted, and our two teams went there yesterday.

"I THANK THESE TWO GREAT CLUBS VERY MUCH"

It is a major organization. This cup was also played in Germany in 2006. Beşiktaş and Galatasaray went. A poster of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was hung in that stadium in Frankfurt. Banners reading ‘How happy is the one who says I am a Turk’ were hung. The players came out in Atatürk t-shirts, and our tens of thousands of fans there applauded, but yesterday we saw that a major crisis occurred hours before the match. We spoke moment by moment with the general secretary of the Galatasaray Club himself and received information. The first crisis was a country uncomfortable with the playing of our National Anthem. This problem was solved through diplomacy. Shame on them. After this problem was solved—I am ashamed to call it 'this problem'—the second crisis was that the players wanted to come out for warm-ups wearing jerseys and t-shirts with our Ata’s [Atatürk's] picture on them. They did not accept this. Upon this, the two major clubs resisted. The Saudis resisted, and the two clubs cast aside the money, the pressure, and this ugly agreement, saying, ‘We are not going out for the match.’ First of all, I thank these two great clubs, where the likes of Metin Oktay and Can Bartu played, very much. This is how the children of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and their clubs take a stand at the same time, and the match was not played.

"IF WE ARE TO PLAY A MATCH IN THE WORLD, THE LAST COUNTRY..."

Now I want to say this. Have some decency. If we are to play a match in the world, the last country we should play in is Saudi Arabia. Just recently, a journalist was murdered in our country. Dissolved in acid. After that, the perpetrators of the incident fled from this country. This government could not try these criminals. It handed the file over to the Saudis. Our Istanbul Deputy, Mr. Yunus Emre, had shared this disgrace regarding this matter from the parliamentary podium at that time. Despite this disgrace, that Saudi, the prince who is the perpetrator of the incident, came to this country. He was welcomed at the door and escorted to his plane. Again, millions of our citizens in Turkey and opposition parties expressed their reaction, but the government, which learned no lessons from any of this, sent our two major clubs to that country. Shame on them. Turkey does not deserve such a government, such a federation, such a Minister of Sports, such a President. The President of the Turkish Football Federation says the reason is ‘They gave the hot cash.’ You took our teams to a country that is allergic to the words Republic and Atatürk for the sake of money, and that at every opportunity deports artists and athletes in its country who wear Atatürk t-shirts or share posts about Atatürk, and millions expressed their reaction yesterday.

"THERE IS A PRESIDENT WHO LOOKS AT EVERYTHING AS MONEY"

Unfortunately, there is an administration and a President who looks at everything as money and leaves all values other than money aside. Did this President not say at a factory opening in the Dörtyol district of Hatay in 2011, ‘Money has no religion, faith, nation, or homeland. Money is money. Money is like mercury. It flows wherever it finds a suitable place’? True. Money flows to them. And when they see money, they turn into a rabbit caught in headlights. They forget everything. They forget the flag. They forget the Republic. They forget Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Yesterday, Ömer Çelik thanked 85 million people in his statement for showing sensitivity toward Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Oh, you ignorant man, 85 million in this country already protect their Ata and show sensitivity. The problem is that you do not show sensitivity, that you remain indifferent. That you have no words to say about yesterday's disgrace.

"ERDOĞAN'S PHONE APPARENTLY DOESN'T HAVE SERVICE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO SPACE"

The two teams were almost in a situation where they would be held hostage. Now I ask. How did you make this contract? In exchange for what did you make it? Did you commit to not hanging the National Anthem and the words, pictures, and banners of Atatürk and the Republic? You must have, because our two clubs left the hotel and did not play the match because this condition was not met. That is why I thank our Istanbul organization, our provincial chairman, our youth, the people of Istanbul, and all our citizens in Turkey very much. Yesterday, thousands of our citizens waited for their teams at two airports. They waited for Atatürk’s children. They waited for the players of two major teams who protect the Republic and their Ata. They took the necessary stand. Now we are waiting for an explanation. We said yesterday that the President of that Football Federation should resign before the plane lands. The Minister of Sports should resign. Even if he blushes, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should come out and explain this, but for some reason, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s phone didn’t have service yesterday, yet we are going to space. The gentleman’s phone didn’t have service. Come out and explain. Come out and talk.

"ERDOĞANS ARE TEMPORARY"

The Republic of Turkey does not deserve such a disgrace. Explain the contract, the terms of the contract, and what happened that day, and apologize to the Turkish nation, to the 85 million. We proudly speak the values of the Republic, our founding values, our Ata’s t-shirt, picture, and words everywhere. We will stand against anyone who is afraid of this or makes the slightest concession to any country regarding this, and we will confront them. From now on, we will hold them accountable for this together, both in Parliament and on the streets. Today at 3 PM, our Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor, our provincial chairman, our organization, and our citizens will gather at Beşiktaş Square. I invite all of Istanbul. I invite you to react. I ask them to come wearing the t-shirts of that great leader, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. I ask them to come with Turkish flags. I ask them to fill the square in defiance of those who do not turn their eyes to their country and the secular Republic, and in defiance of those who make concessions to the Saudis. Let no one forget, Recep Tayyip Erdoğans and Ministers of Sports are temporary, but the Republic will stand tall forever. Atatürk’s principles and reforms will stand tall.

"LET'S LEAVE FOOTBALL TO ITS CHILDREN"

Finally, I want to say this. You have trampled on all institutions, from sports to politics and ministries. You have made the Football Federation, which is an autonomous institution, operate with your own contractors and your own men. What are Nihat Özdemir, Mehmet Büyükekşi, and Yıldırım Demirören doing? Look at the world’s major countries, France, Germany, Spain. Platini becomes the federation president. Why don’t Cüneyt Tatman, Rıza Çalımbay, and Aykut Kocaman become federation presidents in this country? Because if they were federation president or Minister of Sports, when the President said ‘The Super Cup will be played in Riyadh,’ they would say ‘Wait a minute, sir; it will be played in Izmir, Samsun, Ankara.’ That is why, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, take your hands off the federation, sports, and football. Neither of the two clubs needs the money that will come from there at all. Come, let’s leave the autonomous Football Federation to football’s own children, its owners.

"LET THOSE WHO KNOW THE SPIRIT OF FOOTBALL COME"

Let Rıza come, let Cüneyt come, let Oğuz come, let Aykut come. I say let players who know football, who know the spirit of football, and who proudly carry their Ata’s words on their chests come. I offer my get-well wishes to our country once again. Let no one have any doubt that we will hold them accountable for this. Parliament is on a 10-15 day break. If Parliament were open on Tuesday, we would say woe to the AKP group, but it opens on January 16. Know that we will make life miserable for those who did this in Parliament, but until the 16th, we will gather on the streets, in the squares, and everywhere to hold them accountable for this. First of all, we are starting this at 3 PM at Barbaros. That is why I say get well soon once again. I curse those who brought us to this situation. I tell all our citizens that we will be the followers of this. Long live the Republic, long live Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, long live secularism. Down with the enemies of Atatürk.”