Turkish footballer refuses to wear anti-war shirt, citing hypocrisy
A Turkish footballer refused to wear an anti-war T-shirt condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Sunday, citing a lack of solidarity with victims of war in the Middle East, writes MEE's Rayhan Uddin.
Aykut Demir, captain of second division side Erzurumspor, was the only player not to wear a T-shirt with the words “No war” - in both Turkish and English - before a match against Ankaragucu.
Demir told sports publisher Futbol Anadolu: “Thousands of people die every day in the Middle East. Those who ignore the persecution there do these things when it comes to Europe. I didn't like wearing the T-shirt because it wasn't made for those countries.”
Football matches and sporting events across Europe’s leagues displayed solidarity with Ukrainians over the weekend, as Moscow continued its assault on its neighbouring country.