Turkish opposition leader to attend Beşiktaş match to support çArşı

ISTANBUL

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The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party will watch Beşiktaş’s UEFA Europa League tie against in the stadium alongside çArşı, as an act of solidarity with the supporters’ group, members of which were recently charged with “attempting to stage a coup.”

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu announced that he would alongside çArşı members during Beşiktaş’s Sept. 18 match against Greek team Asteras Trispolis, which will take place at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium.

Kılıçdaroğlu, who is actually a fan of Beşiktaş’s Istanbul rival Fenerbahçe, will be there to show his support for çArşı, which was prominent during last year’s Gezi Park protests. Last week, a court accepted an indictment charging a number of çArşı’s members with “attempting to stage a coup” against the government.

Last year’s Gezi Park rallies started as a peaceful sit-in against a plan to bulldoze the park next to Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, but they quickly turned into nationwide anti-government protests following a heavy-handed police crackdown on environmentalist groups.