Statements of 3 suspects in the incident-filled Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby revealed

The investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the incidents that occurred following the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe match, during which stadium manager Ali Çelikkıran was assaulted, is ongoing.

As part of the investigation, the prosecution statements taken yesterday by the Press Crimes Investigation Bureau from Fenerbahçe Club doctor Ertuğrul Karanlık, former executive Hulusi Belgü, and Emre Kartal have been obtained.

In his statement, suspect Emre Kartal said that he served as an accredited analysis coach for Fenerbahçe during the match and is normally an assistant coach for the Fenerbahçe Football Club.

Claiming that they were forced to go to the locker room as a team at the end of the match due to incidents that occurred before and during the game, and that Galatasaray players and technical staff made threats and insults in the corridor, Kartal alleged that these insults continued after the team entered the locker room.

Kartal argued that Galatasaray officials, despite having permission from Sports Branch officers, illegally prevented their team from leaving the locker room and that they were held against their will, stating, "Although the organization was still under the supervision and control of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and there was no regulation preventing our team and technical staff, who had not yet left the stadium, from taking photos or going out onto the pitch, we were unfairly obstructed by Galatasaray officials."

Explaining that after a while they went out onto the pitch under police escort to take photos with the team and executives, Kartal alleged that they were met with obstruction by Galatasaray executives and staff and were insulted.

Kartal continued his remarks as follows:

"After going out onto the pitch, we naturally wanted to take photos with our flag, the players, the executives, and the entire technical staff in the joy of victory. During this time, Galatasaray officials continued to obstruct us by physically and verbally intervening.

Subsequently, while our executive Ahmet Ketenci, our doctor Ertuğrul Karanlık, and players from our team, goalkeeper İrfan Can Eğribayat, Mert Hakan Yandaş, Oosterwolde, and a female executive whose name I cannot recall at the moment, were taking photos with our Fenerbahçe flag, I saw an individual rapidly approaching us and attacking our flag, attempting to seize it. Later, Ertuğrul Karanlık tried to distance him from the flag."

Emre Kartal references the incident-filled Trabzonspor match

Explaining that a scuffle continued with Galatasaray officials during this time, and that he saw the person trying to take the flag hit Ertuğrul Karanlık in the lip, and that he saw blood on Karanlık's face and saw him fall to the ground, Kartal said, "The person who came rapidly toward us and attacked us was not a player; he was in civilian clothes. I later learned that the person was stadium manager Ali Çelikkıran.

Because we recently experienced similar events at the end of the match we played against Trabzonspor, I acted with a great sense of fear and excitement, purely with the instinct of self-preservation, to prevent and stop the attack by the individual in question."

Stating that the medical report he submitted to the prosecutor's office along with his statement after the Trabzonspor match shows that he was subjected to severe violence, Kartal noted that he was threatened on social media accounts after both the Galatasaray and Trabzonspor matches, and that his mental state has been negatively affected by this ongoing situation.

Kartal said, "I acted solely with the reflex to protect our team and our flag against both these events and the attempt to seize our sacred flag, which represents millions of our fans. I only tried to stop and prevent the unjust attack in the panic and fear of that moment. I do not accept the accusations leveled against me. I did not make any insulting or threatening remarks toward anyone, and I did not commit the crime of intentional injury."

"I EXPERIENCED PANIC AFTER SEEING THE BLOOD COMING FROM THE DOCTOR'S MOUTH"

Upon being told that it was determined in the documents sent by the Sports Security Branch Directorate and the annex of the Galatasaray Sports Club's complaint petition that he punched the complainant Ali Çelikkıran, Kartal said, "I am not in the camera footage when the incidents started. I was talking on the phone with a friend at that time. Afterward, I saw the scuffle between Çelikkıran and our doctor Ertuğrul Karanlık. I saw him hit him and knock him to the ground while the doctor's foot slipped. I experienced panic after seeing the blood coming from the doctor's mouth. This person also hung onto the Fenerbahçe flag and tried to pull it. I also ran toward that scuffle in the shock of the events. I do not remember what I did in that moment of panic and shock."

Ertuğrul Karanlık continued his statement with the following words:

"While the celebration was continuing, we wanted to take a photo with the Fenerbahçe flag as a small group with Fenerbahçe players Mert Hakan Yandaş, Mert Müldür, Jaden Oosterwolde, and executives Ahmet Ketenci, Simla Türker Beyazıt, and Bekir İrdem. I even asked for permission from a Sports Branch police officer who was authorized there to take a photo with the flag, and he gave it. I then took photos of these people holding the Fenerbahçe flag with my phone.

At this moment, I saw a person running toward us, shouting and swearing. As soon as he arrived, he physically intervened, pushed me aside, and tried to take the flag. Because the event developed very quickly and we had experienced a similar event in the Trabzonspor away game, I tried to embrace and pull him to prevent this person. Because in the Trabzon away game, one of the fans came at me with a knife, and one even ran toward me with a corner flag. We already had a trauma. While I wanted to prevent him, he hit me in the mouth. I was still trying to understand what was happening. Because the events developed very quickly."

Stating that he tried to stop the person who hit him for fear that he might do bad things because he did not know him, Karanlık declared that he did not punch or kick anyone, did not make any threatening or insulting remarks, and that the scene suddenly became chaotic.

Explaining that he realized his hand was scratched and his leg was bleeding after the scuffle ended, Karanlık said he would submit the assault report he received to the investigation file.

Ertuğrul Karanlık said, ''I only tried to prevent the person who was trying to take the flag, whom I later learned was named Ali Çelikkıran. I do not accept the accusations leveled against me; I am innocent.''

Upon being told that it was determined in the documents sent by the Sports Security Branch Directorate and the annex of the Galatasaray Sports Club's complaint petition that he punched the complainant Ali Çelikkıran, Karanlık said, ''The events developed very quickly. I do not remember punching Ali Çelikkıran because I had already received the first blow."

"I ALSO SAW THAT OUR PRESIDENT ALİ KOÇ WAS INJURED IN HIS HAND"

Suspect Hulusi Belgü, in his statement, said that he is a businessman operating in the shopping mall and tourism sectors, and that he served as an executive at Fenerbahçe Sports Club between 1998-2000, but currently has no position in the club.

Stating that when they went out onto the pitch to celebrate the victory, while the executives were taking photos with the Fenerbahçe flag, he saw Ali Çelikkıran, whose name he learned later, coming rapidly toward them and attacking the team's flag, Belgü said, "I was not among those taking photos. Later, Ertuğrul Karanlık tried to distance the person trying to take the flag from the flag. However, the scuffle continued between the aforementioned person and Galatasaray officials and our team. During this time, I saw that our doctor had blood on his face, that he fell to the ground, and that our president Ali Koç was also injured in his hand."

Belgü argued that he acted with the instinct of self-preservation and tried to stop and prevent the person attacking them, and did not accept the accusations leveled against him.

Upon being told that it was determined in the documents sent by the Sports Security Branch Directorate and the annex of the Galatasaray Sports Club's complaint petition that he also punched the complainant Çelikkıran and pulled his hair from behind, Belgü said, "I was in an effort to break up the incidents. However, Ali Çelikkıran used vulgar insults that I do not want to repeat now. I intervened not to hit him, but to move him away. Afterward, as this person was going inside, I came from behind and reached out my hand saying 'What are you doing?', and I lost my balance slightly, and because the person had long hair, his hair clip and hair got caught in my hand.''

News Source: AA