August 12 – An arrest warrant has been issued in Turkey for former international striker Hakan Sukur as part of the investigation into the failed July 15 coup. Houses in Istanbul and Sakarya were raided but Sukur is understood to be living in the US.
Sukur is Turkey’s leading goalscorer with 51 goals from 112 appearances and is best known internationall for his performances at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/Korea where Turkey finished third. His club career spanned Galatasaray, Inter Milan and Blackburn Rivers.
He retired from playing in 2007 and turned to politics. In 2011 he was elected MP for Turkish president Recip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), but resigned in 2013 following a corruption probe that targeted Erdoğan and his inner circle.
Sukur is believed to be a supporter of Ergogan’s rival Fethullah Gulen who Erdogan (via the state newsagency) claims was behind the coup attempt. His supporters have been rounded up in their thousands by Turkish police, a purge that has also reached into the Turkish FA.
Last week the association fired staff saying in a statement that it had “deemed it necessary to dismiss 94 people, including regional and nationally ranked referees and assistant referees, regional refereeing committee members and national and regional observers.” At the beginning of the month all members of the governing board and the Turkish FA’s committees resigned.
Sukur had already incurred the wrath of Erdogan following a tweet that was interpreted as being insulting to the Turkish president. He denied that was his intention.
Sukue is accused of being a member of an armed terror group (FETO) by Turkish prosecutors. The arrest warrant also includes his father Sermet Sukur. Neither Hakan or his father were found in the searches.
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