Another Turkish club ends contract with Israeli footballer

ISTANBUL

Turkish football club Başakşehir has announced that it ended its contract with Israeli player Eden Karzev following a disciplinary probe of his social media post calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.

The club launched disciplinary proceedings against Karzev earlier this week after the defensive midfielder shared a message reading, "Bring Them Home Now.” Karzev was also briefly questioned by police in Istanbul.

Başakşehir took Karzev on loan from Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv last year.

"The player was fined in accordance with the club's disciplinary instructions, and it was deemed appropriate for the football player to continue his career abroad," the club said in a written statement on Jan. 18.

Maccabi said the 23-year-old - capped five times by Israel - was joining the Tel Aviv side on loan from Başakşehir for the remainder of the season.

The club's decision came days after another Israeli player, Sagiv Jehezkel, was briefly detained in Türkiye and questioned for allegedly inciting hatred after he celebrated his goal by gesturing to a message written on a bandage on his left wrist, which read "100 days. 07/10.”

Antalyaspor’s player Jehezkel returned to his country hours after his release. The player left Türkiye of his own will and there was no decision to deport him, a Turkish official said last week.

Israel furiously condemned Jehezkel's detention, sending relations between the two regional powers to a new low.

Both Jehezkel and Karzev said that their messages were intended as calls for an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, denying accusations that they engaged in a provocative act.