Mehmet Sepil: “I am seeing a president walk to his own stands from inside the stadium during halftime for the first time.”

Goztepe Honorary President Mehmet Sepil, in a statement regarding the incidents that occurred during the match between Goztepe and Fenerbahce, said, “I see this for the first time in my 11-year football history. A president walks from the inside of the stadium to his own stands during the halftime. This is not a usual situation, I am seeing this for the first time in my life.”

Goztepe faced Fenerbahce at the Gursel Aksel Stadium in the 2nd week of the Trendyol Super League. The first half of the match ended with Fenerbahce leading 2-0, and Goztepe fans reacted when Fenerbahce President Ali Koç and his accompanying delegation went to the section where the away fans were located after they were unable to enter the match. Later, as the second half began, Goztepe’s accreditation card holder Fatih Ozkan pushed Ali Koç from behind, causing him to fall, and following the incident, teams from the Izmir Provincial Security Directorate Sports Security Branch detained Ozkan. Regarding the events, Goztepe Honorary President Mehmet Sepil stated that Fatih Ozkan was not a club employee, saying, “He is not someone who directly works professionally at our club. However, like in all other clubs, he is a person who is concerned with Goztepe’s infrastructure, but he does not have an official position in the club.”

“I called Ali Koç out of courtesy before the match, but I did not receive a response”
Sepil stated that he called Ali Koç out of courtesy two days before the Fenerbahce match, explaining, “I wanted to ask if he had any needs. I wanted to say that if he had any needs, we would help him. However, I did not receive a response to my phone call; I don’t know if he saw my call.”

“We allocated a box”
Sepil indicated that Fenerbahce officials requested a box the day before the match, saying, “Everyone knows the condition of Goztepe Stadium; we had no boxes or tickets left due to the combined sales. When Fenerbahce Club called our executives, we discussed with our CEO Kerem Ertan, and said we should find a box for Ali Koç by any means. We allocated this box to him under very difficult conditions.”

“Fenerbahce management sent a thank you message”
Sepil mentioned that Fenerbahce officials thanked them due to an incident in the away section before the match, saying, “A Fenerbahce executive called me, and I think Ali Koç was with him. They said, ‘We are late for the match, but our fans in the stadium contacted us; the speakers in the guest section were playing music very loudly,’ and requested our help. We spoke with the relevant parties, ensured the volume was reduced, and then they sent us a thank you message.”

“There was a greeting in the protocol”
Emphasizing that there was no situation where Fenerbahce officials were not welcomed, Sepil said, “Five minutes before the match, our President Rasmus Ankersen, Kerem Ertan, and Talat Papatya wanted to make a courtesy visit to Ali Koç to say ‘welcome.’ When they went to the box allocated to Fenerbahce, they saw that the box was empty. As I learned, the Fenerbahce delegation arrived at the stadium when we went out for the ceremony and preferred to sit all together in the protocol. They say, ‘Nobody welcomed us; there was no executive from Goztepe,’ but when Ali Koç entered, Talat Papatya was already in the protocol. He welcomed him and said welcome, and they took their places in the protocol booth.”

“Ali Koç’s fall is unacceptable”
Sepil stated that everyone knows his stance in football, saying, “The pushing and falling of the President of Fenerbahce and also the President of the Clubs Association is absolutely unacceptable. I am a president who does not like or approve of aggression in football. It is known that I have made great efforts to establish good relations with many clubs that Goztepe has had problems with in the past. Before this incident, there had been no known negative incidents between Goztepe and Fenerbahce.”

“Meanwhile, the late entry of the audience to the match is also not a first”
Noting that Goztepe’s CEO Kerem Ertan went down to the field to help, Sepil said, “When Ali Koç went down to the field, I had no idea why he went there, what his purpose was, or what his concerns were. Meanwhile, our CEO Kerem Ertan went there to intervene when he saw that events were escalating after Ali Koç entered the field from the tunnel, asking, ‘President, let’s do whatever it takes; let’s help.’ He offered his help because we did not know why he went down. Ali Koç continued on his way, saying, ‘You don’t know what is happening.’ Meanwhile, the late entry of the audience to the match is also not a first; it is known that fans are sometimes allowed into the stadium late all over Turkey. If we had known that Ali Koç was walking for this reason, we could have explained this to our fans and prevented a backlash on his way back.”

“I said the heaviest words when I saw Fatih Özkan”
Sepil stated that there is no justification for Ali Koç’s falling, saying, “Two communities that have not had any serious problems so far came face to face. I wish Ali Koç had informed us when he went to his own stands; if we had known about these events, they would not have escalated to this point. He already knows that we will provide all sorts of help; it is impossible not to help. When I saw Fatih Özkan, I said the heaviest words possible, ‘What did you do? You are on the field with a Goztepe accreditation; what did you cause?’ He was in shock and repeatedly said that he was really very sorry.”

“Izmir police continue their work with maximum caution alongside sports clubs”
Sepil stated that as Goztepe Sports Club, they are against violence, concluding his remarks: “The reason for these incidents, even if it was not intentional, is Ali Koç entering the field for reasons we cannot understand and walking towards the guest stand. We see that this wrongful behavior is being legitimized in the media and certain circles. Therefore, the incident is being taken out of context, and irrational statements are being made against everyone in Izmir, Goztepe Club, and security personnel. However, as the sports community, athletes, and fans in Izmir witness, the Izmir Police have been making great efforts to prevent violence in sports for years. The Izmir police officers continue to work with maximum caution in dialogue with all sports clubs in Izmir to reduce violence in sports with a determined and resolute approach. I want to reiterate that preventing violence in sports is the primary responsibility of football executives, and I express that all that has happened has deeply hurt me and my friends.