Referee decisions in Fenerbahçe – Çaykur Rizespor match reach the Turkish Parliament! AKP deputy rebels, calls for resignation

As the championship race between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe continues in the Süper Lig, referee decisions are being debated in the sports community after almost every match.

According to a report by Gazete Duvar, these debates in football have also been carried over to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Taking the floor at the TBMM General Assembly, AKP Rize Deputy Harun Mertoğlu rebelled against the referee decisions in the Fenerbahçe – Çaykur Rizespor match.

Regarding the match, which ended in a 3-2 victory for Fenerbahçe, Mertoğlu stated that Çaykur Rizespor's efforts were usurped on the pitch by scandalous referee decisions and called on the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the Central Referee Board (MHK) to resign.

Asking, "Why is Rizespor's right not being delivered?" Mertoğlu said, "Is football only played for the big teams? If justice is not provided on the pitch, there is no trust left in that league. We call on the entire football community to stand against injustice. Çaykur Rizespor is not alone. There can be no success in football without justice. Enough, stop now."

İYİ Party Istanbul Deputy Burak Akburak also stated that referee errors have now exceeded the limits of tolerance.

CALL FOR FOREIGN REFEREES

Stating that "as the referees' management moves away from justice, trust in Turkish football is rapidly eroding," Akburak said, "It is not possible for this season to be completed healthily in this way. My call to the TFF is clear and explicit: since the foreign referee practice has been implemented in the VAR system, then take the same step and introduce foreign referees for center referees as well."

WHAT HAPPENED?

Fenerbahçe hosted Çaykur Rizespor at home in the 22nd week of the Süper Lig. The Yellow-Navies won the match 3-2 after falling 2-0 behind, securing 3 points. The Black Sea team, which was left with 9 players on the pitch, had reacted to the referee's decisions.

Çaykur Rizespor Deputy Chairman Adnan Er, in a statement to the press after the match played at Ülker Stadium which Fenerbahçe won 3-2, had used the expression, "If we did not actually pull our team off the pitch, it is so that Turkish football does not suffer harm. We barely held ourselves back so that it would not be humiliated in the face of world football."