Here is all you need to know about MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, as he hits the match referee during a Turkish league game in a viral video
Ankaragucu’s president, Faruk Koca, shocked Turkey’s top division by striking the referee in the face during their Super Lig home match against Rizespor.
Who is Faruk Koca MKE Ankaragucu president who punched Turkey Super Lig referee Halil Umut Meler in viral video on Twitter
In the 96th minute of his team’s 1-1 Super Lig encounter against Caykur Rizespor, MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca came onto the pitch following his team’s equaliser, and he also tackled referee Halil Umut Meler and the occurrence was captured by state broadcaster TRT. Fans attacked Meler as he fell, and police had to step in later to make sure he was safe.
Türkische Fußball Liga. Ankaragücü-Präsident Faruk Koca prügelt auf Schiedsrichter Halil Umut Meler ein. Unfassbar!
— 🎙️🎙️ 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕚 🎙️🎙️ (@Dean_Martin_11) December 11, 2023
Bok çukuru bu ülke, cidden bok çukuru!#ankaragucu #farukkoca #halilumutmelerpic.twitter.com/5Vhac7YQra
— Umut (@demokrat_t_) December 12, 2023
Following the scandalous incident in which referee Halil Umut Meler was physically assaulted by Ankaragucu’s president, Koca, during the team’s Super Lig home match against Rizespor, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) took urgent action and suspended all tournaments. The statement by the federation wrote:
The Turkish Football Federation has decided to suspend all games in all leagues indefinitely.”
A few hours after the game ended, the Turkish Football Federation issued a statement in which it denounced the “inhumane and despicable” attack on the official. The statement read:
We are following Halil Umut Meler’s health condition closely and wish a speedy recovery to our valuable referee.”
Before players from both teams stepped in to protect the referee, Meler took many strikes from other players while lying on the ground with his hands covering his face. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president of Turkey, expressed his condemnation of the act and expressed his wish for the referee to recover quickly saying “Sports means peace and brotherhood.”
Who is Faruk Koca?
Faruk Koca is an Ankaraguku club president and is currently 64 years old. He was born in Ankara and twice represented the Parliament there. The politician from Turkey is a former deputy of the Turkish Grand National Assembly from 2002 and 2011. He is also the founder of Free Trade Justice. In 2022, he won the Turkish Super Lig’ fair play award.
As per reports, Koca has four children.