Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) Spokesperson Sera Kadıgil has brought the invitation of footballer Atakan Karazor, who is being tried in Spain on charges of sexual assault, to the A National Team squad to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).
In the parliamentary question she submitted for the Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak to answer, Kadıgil stated that this invitation legitimizes male violence and feeds a culture of impunity.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Atakan Karazor was arrested in 2022 in Ibiza on allegations of committing sexual assault against an 18-year-old woman. Karazor, who remained in custody for 6 weeks, was released on 50 thousand euros bail.
Karazor, whose trial is still ongoing in Spain, was recently invited to the Turkey A National Team squad.
FIRST STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL TEAM
Turkish Football Federation (TFF) Board Member and National Teams Supervisor Ceyhun Kazancı, in a statement made following the reactions, said, "We are against all forms of violence. Atakan Karazor's case is ongoing. Every individual is innocent until their guilt is proven. We must support our brother. If the crime is finalized, he will face the consequences."
Sera Kadıgil posed the following questions to Minister Bak:
Is inviting an athlete who is on trial as a perpetrator of sexual assault to the national team not a choice that legitimizes male violence?
Is this situation not a decision that damages our country's reputation in the international arena?
Is rewarding an athlete who is on trial by making them a national footballer not a choice that wounds the conscience of the country?
News Source: 12punto
