Turkey’s Super Cup in Saudi Arabia canceled over reported Ataturk row
The competing Turkish teams refused to take the pitch after Saudi authorities banned posters and banners of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of secularist modern Turkey.
ANKARA — The Super Cup final between Turkey's Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Riyadh on Friday was canceled after Saudi authorities reportedly refused to allow the two teams to display images and banners commemorating Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey’s secularist founder, on the centennial of the republic.
In protest, both leading Istanbul teams refused to take the pitch and began preparing to return home, Turkey’s public broadcaster, TRT, reported.
The tensions involving the Saudi authorities, the Turkish Football Federation and the teams surfaced earlier on Friday, when Fenerbahce President Ali Koc said that Saudi authorities were not permitting players to open a banner reading, “Peace at home, peace in the world,” one of Ataturk’s famous sayings.
“As far as I understand, the authorities did not accept it," he said. "We are trying to solve the problem."
