The Turkish Wrestling Federation (TGF) has announced that an investigation and inquiry have been launched regarding an incident reported to have taken place at the Minors' Turkish Wrestling Championship held in Ankara. It was reported that the investigation was opened following allegations that Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Hamza Yerlikaya entered the mat and reacted to the referee after the match in which his son was defeated.
According to the allegations, Yerlikaya reacted to the referee's decisions, descended from the stands to the competition area, walked toward the referee, and attempted to remove the referee from the hall by grabbing them by the arm. The federation's statement noted that it was determined that the competition area was interfered with and that "unwanted incidents" occurred involving the referee who was the mat supervisor.
In a joint statement by the TGF Board of Directors and the Central Referee Board, it was stated that the events took place on July 25, 2026, on the final day of the championship. The statement emphasized that ensuring young athletes compete in a safe, fair, and ethically sound environment is the federation's primary priority.
The federation announced that reports were filed in accordance with observer and referee accounts regarding the incidents, which were said to have begun with verbal pressure during the match in question. The statement noted that disciplinary processes will be followed and that the determination to protect the authority of the refereeing office will be maintained.
News Source: 12punto
