Minutes before the start of the Turkish Super Cup final between league champions Galatasaray and Turkish Cup winners Fenerbahçe, the match was officially called off due to "organizational problems"
SAUDI ARABIAN BANS
Due to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe wanted to hold a series of tributes to the founder of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, at the Al Awwal Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which caused the Saudi officials to strongly oppose.
The conflict began with the Saudi Arabian authorities' request not to play the Turkish anthem prior to the match at the Riyadh Stadium, something that was non-negotiable for the Turkish teams, so the Saudis finally gave in after complaints from both clubs.
"If our national anthem cannot be sung, we will not take the field," said Galatasaray
general secretary Eray Yazgan.
However, the misunderstandings did not end there. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe fans wanted to display a large banner of Atatürk, because of the importance of his figure for the Turkish people, but they were also denied. The final straw came when the clubs asked to take the field with an image of Atatürk on their shirts and also with a banner with the words of the father of Turkey: "Peace at home, peace in the world", as well as Galatasaray players spreading the "How happy he who says 'I am a Turk'", a phrase uttered by Atatürk at the Republic Day celebrations in 1933.
These wishes were flatly rejected by Saudi Arabian officials, so both Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe refused to play the match within minutes of kick-off, so they had no choice but to cancel it.
The fans who had come to the stadium, once the decision was known, sang the Turkish national anthem a cappella. However, the stadium's public address system, which had been switched off until then, played music to prevent it from being heard clearly.
"To celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic and Turkish Football Federation abroad,
we are organizing with our clubs in a way that contributes to the brand value of Turkish football and our clubs.
The Super Cup 2023 competition, which was planned to be played on
Friday, December 29, 2023 at 8:45 p.m., has been postponed to a later date as a result of the joint decision we took
with our clubs, due to some disruptions in the organization.
We would like to thank the Football Federation
and the relevant institutions and organizations in the host country for the efforts they have made so far
in organizing the Super Cup".
One of Fenerbahçe's players, İrfan Can Kahveci, posted on his X (Twitter) account a picture wearing a shirt with Atatürk's image on it.
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, also posted on his social media about what happened: "[...] I have a suggestion for both communities and their managers: In this final there are no losers, there are 2 winners. The 2023 Super Cup should be split in two and displayed in the museums of the two clubs as a symbol of eternal competition and friendship, as well as our infinite loyalty to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk."
SUPPORT FROM TURKISH CLUBS
Beşiktaş was the first Turkish team to speak out by offering its stadium to play the Super Cup. "Our door is open! We are waiting for Atatürk lovers in Dolmabahçe with Turkish flags to play the Super Cup final, which will be played on the 100th anniversary of our Republic, on an appropriate date, in the Atatürk district, in the most beautiful stadium in the world," they said.
Altay, from the Turkish second division, expressed that "we support the decisions of Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe and thank them for their stance."
Others like Trabzonspor and Sivasspor spread the phrase "Peace at home, peace in the world". But it wasn't just clubs that spoke out, as a legend like Volkan Demirel posted a story on Instagram with the slogan "How happy is he who says 'I am Turkish,'" referring, once again, to Atatürk.
The Turkish Super Cup is an annual single-match competition contested each year by the Super League (Galatasaray) and Turkish Cup (Fenerbahçe) champions of the previous season. This year the expectation was high given that both teams are level on points at the top of the first division standings.
WHY DID THE SAUDIS DENY THE TURKISH CLUBS' REQUESTS?
By the 1930s, Atatürk and Saudi Arabia had established a cordial relationship, and it was in the interest of the leader of modern Turkey to maintain a friendly connection with the international community. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have generally fluctuated over time between alliance and rivalry. The "no" to the Atatürk banners, as well as the shirts honoring the founder of the Republic, reportedly came about, according to Turkish media, because the Saudi authorities did not want portraits and paintings of any kind in the stadium.
If a few minutes before the match was due to start there seemed to be a "yes" to the playing of the anthem, the "no" to the banner "Peace at home, peace in the world" was categorical, and the reason would be that Saudi Arabia did not want to give the impression of taking a position on the Palestinian issue. It should be underlined that in recent months Saudi Arabia has arrested believers showing solidarity with Gaza and praying for Palestine at the holy sites of Mecca and Medina.
Another reason for these bans is that Atatürk established a secular Republic in Turkey, which would be against the beliefs of Saudi Arabia, which is an Islamic state, although these are suppositions, as nothing has yet been clarified by the Saudi authorities.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LEADING FIGURE OF ATATÜRK FOR THE TURKS
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the founder of the Republic of Turkey and is currently one of the most loved people for the Turks. He advocated secularism and the separation of politics and religion, and believed in progress through science and reason. He sought to modernize the country and founded the Republican People's Party (CHP). In domestic politics, Atatürk forged the Turkish identity by nurturing nationalism to differentiate himself from the Arabs through a social revolution. He replaced the Arabic alphabet with the Latin alphabet, promoted free education and gave the country the highest literacy rate in the Middle East. In addition, he abolished the Sharia and Islam ceased to be the official state religion in favor of a legal system inspired by the liberal ideas of Europe. He also promoted the vote and the emancipation of women by facilitating their access to political and social participation.
Atatürk meant the modernization and westernization of a country with an Islamic heritage, and also a synonym of progression and future. Although his mandate was not perfect, if Turkey is the country it is today, it is thanks to him, which is why he is praised in this way and is considered the father of the nation.
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