Turkish wrestler may face IOC probe for racist tweets

ISTANBUL - Radikal

Turkey’s Olympic medalist wrestler Rıza Kayaalp advocated that “Armenians” were at the root of the Gezi protests. Hürriyet photo, Celal DEMİRBİLEK

Turkey’s Olympic medalist wrestler Rıza Kayaalp could face probes from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and world wrestling governing body for his tweets targeting Armenians and Gezi Park protesters.

The daily Radikal reported that the IOC and International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) received complaints about Kayaalp’s tweets on the anti-government protests which spread throughout the country last month after a police crackdown on a group performing a sit-in against a controversial city center renovation project.

European and World champion Kayaalp, who also won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London last year, advocated that “Armenians” were at the root of the Gezi protests, in a series of tweets he later deleted.

His tweets included “You just leave the streets to Armenians, you f**ing looters” and “F**k you traitors”.

He was then picked to bear the Turkish flag during the opening ceremony of last month’s Mediterranean Games in Mersin and has also featured in a public service announcement prepared by the Minister of Youth and Sports.