Turkish oil wrestler shot by friend

KOCAELİ - Hürriyet Daily News

Taşçı (L) and Yılmaz have been the two sides of an oil-wrestling rivalry. DHA photo.

Three-time Kırkpınar champion Ahmet Taşçı was shot in his legs yesterday, allegedly by Mehmet “Cino” Yılmaz, another former winner of the historic oil-wrestling competition.

Taşçı will undergo surgery on his legs today in Kocaeli, and is said to be in good condition. In his testimony at the police station, Yılmaz confessed to shooting Taşçı in the legs following an argument, the Doğan news agency reported.

The reason for the argument between the two wrestlers was that Yılmaz, who competes for the Karamürsel Municipality team, refused to be transferred to the Youth and Sports Directorate squad. Yılmaz has resigned and threatened Mayor İsmail Yıldırım to stop the transfer process, the report said.

Yesterday Yılmaz and Taşçı met on the street, and the two had a heated argument, before “Cino” took out a gun and fired it five times, with three bullets striking Taşçı.