Eight more suspects detained after chaotic abandoned Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby

ISTANBUL

Eight more suspects were detained on April 23 after last week’s Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby in the Ziraat Turkish Cup, which was postponed after shocking scenes of crowd trouble.

The cup semi-final was postponed after visiting Beşiktaş manager Şenol Güneş was injured by one of the hail of projectiles hurled by Fenerbahçe fans on April 19.

With the recent detentions made as part of the investigation conducted by the Sports Crime Branch of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office, the number of detainees has risen to 31.

The suspect who reportedly injured Güneş is among the detainees.

At the start of the second half of the match, sections of the Fenerbahçe crowd threw objects at the Beşiktaş bench including plastic bottles, coins and key chains, prompting the referee to halt the game in the 57th minute.

Beşiktaş players then left the pitch along with the referees and the game was later abandoned.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke about the incident in Ankara on April 20, describing the incident as a “plot.”

“These incidents at the stadium was apparently organized by someone,” Erdoğan said, adding that substances were thrown from “particular points.”

“I also wish that Tolga had not gotten engaged in a mistake there,” he stated, referring to Beşiktaş’s substitute goalkeeper Tolga Zengin’s reaction against the angry fans behind him.

What happened to coach Güneş is “unacceptable,” Erdoğan also said, signaling a new study to curb violence in football and adding that he had called the chairs of both clubs as well as Güneş.