04.04.2025 16:01
Trabzonspor Vice President Taner Fikret Saral reacted to the appointment of referee Mehmet Türkmen for the Fenerbahçe match. In a statement published under the headline "The salt has already gone bad," Saral said, "While our team has had 30 points stolen during the 30-week league process, the assignment of the same referees to 18 of our matches is no longer a coincidence; it is a clear organized operation."
Trabzonspor Club Vice President Taner Fikret Saral reacted to the appointment of referee Mehmet Türkmen for the match against Fenerbahçe on Sunday, April 6, in the 30th week of the Trendyol Super League, by expressing his discontent to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
"THE SALT HAS NOW STUNK"
Saral stated in a statement published on the club's website under the title "The salt has now stunk," "It is no longer a coincidence that the same referees have been appointed for 18 of our matches while 30 points have been stolen from our team during the 30-week league process. This is the very definition of an organized operation."
Saral, who used the expression "The names are clear, the table is a lesson," added:
"Mehmet Türkmen has officiated 5 matches (including this weekend, 6 times), Cihan Aydın 4 matches, Zorbay Küçük 4 matches, Ali Şansalan 3 matches, Kadir Sağlam 2 matches. After a foreign referee was appointed for the Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe match, we officially applied to the Turkish Football Federation on February 24, 2025, to convey our request for a foreign referee. This legitimate and justified application has been left unanswered. As if that wasn't enough, now, the one who is at the center of this setup, a staunch Fenerbahçe supporter, who is a fan of Mourinho on one hand and has been honored by Mourinho as 'my favorite referee,' Mehmet Türkmen, has been appointed for the Fenerbahçe match we will play this weekend, deliberately challenging us. Moreover, just two weeks ago, the fictitious penalty he awarded in the Başakşehir match is still fresh, while this appointment has been made. Trabzonspor is the conscience of football in this country. It will never bow to injustice and unfairness."