A former Turkish football chief has been sentenced to more than three-and-a-half in prison for attacking a referee last season.
Former MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca launched a vicious assault on Halil Umut Meler when he stormed onto the pitch following his side’s 1-1 draw against Caykur Rizespor in the Super Lig on December 11, 2023.
Meler, who fell to the ground after being punched by Koca, was also kicked in a melee that occurred when fans similarly invaded the field after Rizespor scored a last-minute equaliser in the game on 11 December, 2023.
Referee Meler was later pictured battered and bruised and wearing a neck brace in hospital, with the incident causing outrage and leading to a suspension of the Turkish top flight.
And, in a court in Ankara on Monday, Koca was convicted of ‘intentionally wounding a public official’ and handed a jail term of three years and seven months, as per the Anadolu Agency.
Faruk Koca (centre) has been jailed for more than three-and-a-half years for attacking a referee
Koca, who was MKE Ankaragucu president, attacked Halil Umut Meler and punched him
Koca was convicted of ‘intentionally wounding a public official’, although he is set to appeal
Koca was also found guilty of threatening the official and of violating laws at preventing violence in sport, although those sentences were suspended.
The Anadolu Agency went onto report that three others were sentenced to prison terms for attacking Umut, with their sentences ranging from one to five years.
Koca had resigned as club president shortly after the chaos unfolded, and was briefly jailed before he was then released on bail. He is expected to appeal the sentence.
The report claimed lawyers representing the defendants said the attack had happened after ‘unjust provocation’.
At the time, Ankaragucu were fined 2million Turkish Lira (£45,000) and forced to play five home games without fans.
The incident had been widely condemned in the media, with one outlet branding it as a ‘night of shame’ for Turkish football.
After being treated in hospital, Meler was subsequently discharged with a reported swelling and small fracture, as pictures showed him waving to a crowd gathered outside the hospital’s entrance.
Following the match official’s release from hospital, Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Buyukeksi revealed the league would be suspended in a bid to ‘protect’ it’s officials.
Meler was pictured with a neck brace at the time as he recovered in hospital after the incident
Fans had stormed onto the pitch alongside Koca and kicked Meler while he was on the ground
He wrote: ‘The main mission of all of us is to keep football ahead of everything else and to protect it as an area where all stakeholders feel safe. There is no room for violence in this attitude.
‘What happened in the Ankaragucu – Rizespor match is completely unacceptable.
‘We remind you that we will have zero tolerance in any such incident on or off the field, and that we will not allow attacks or disproportionate pressure on our referees, who are an important part of the game.’
Koca later announced his resignation as president of Ankaragucu – a post he had held since 2021 – and admitted he felt ‘great embarrassment’ for his actions and was stepping down to ‘prevent any further harm’ to the club.
However, it had been earlier reported that he claimed he had not been responsible for the fractured eye socket suffered by the official, adding his intent was to spit in the referee’s face.
‘My aim was to react verbally to the referee and spit in his face,’ Koca had allegedly said, as reported by CNN Turk.
‘At this time, I slapped the referee in the face. The slap I gave did not cause a fracture.
‘After the slap I gave, the referee stood for about 5-10 seconds, then threw himself on the ground.
Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Buyukeksi subsequently suspended the league
Meler was then discharged from hospital with reported swelling and a small fracture
Koca – who was released on bail – resigned from his position following the shocking incident
‘They immediately removed me from the scene because of my heart disease. Other than that, I am not aware of any incident that took place.’
Meanwhile, referee Meler issued a statement at the time after being rushed to hospital, claiming Koca had threatened his life.
‘Faruk Koca punched me under my left eye and I fell to the ground. While I was on the ground, they kicked my face and other parts of my body many times,’ Meler said. ‘Faruk Koca told me and my fellow referees: “I will finish you”.
‘Addressing me in particular, he said: “I will kill you”,’ Meler added.
He later insisted to Turkish media that he would not forgive Koca for his actions.
‘No, I did not forgive [Koca], I will not forgive,’ he told Turkish media.
‘The person who did this punched me, I collapsed and fell to the ground. But the actual kicking while I was on the ground will be something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
‘That’s why, in conscience, I will never forgive. I will not forgive in any way, I will never forgive those who did it or those who provoked it. I am saying this specifically, I will not forgive those who provoked it or those who did it.’
Ankaragucu were relegated from the Super Lig at the end of last season and now play in the TFF 1. Lig (the second tier of Turkish football).
