Federation refers freediver to disciplinary board after exposing psychological violence

* Photo: Fatma Uruk - Social media

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Shortly after freediver Fatma Uruk announced that she was subjected to psychological violence and discrimination by the Turkish Underwater Sports Federation, she has been referred to the disciplinary board.

The Federation has argued that Fatma Uruk "has impulsive and negative behavior and she harms the national team."

In a social media post on her Twitter account, freediver Fatma Uruk announced that the psychological violence and discrimination that she faced at the national team camp was not the first time:

"I am subjected to psychological violence and discrimination by the federation at the national team camp. As I had experienced such incidents before, I informed them about my request for not coming to the camp, but it was rejected. They now don't let me leave this place."

Uruk said that after her tweets, Federation Chair Şahin Özen wanted to meet her at the hotel where they were staying for the national team camp. According to Fatma Uruk, after she turned down this invitation, the federation chair started collecting materials to be used against her.

Recounting the conversation that she heard from the balcony upstairs, Uruk said, "The Chair is talking about me with some of the other athletes. 'There is a picture with a beer in front of her, send it to the press and her club,' the federation chair said and laughed with other athletes."

The Turkish Underwater Sports Federation has released a statement afterwards and expressed concerns that "Uruk might demotivate the national team." The statement has also indicated that "Fatma Uruk, displaying some impulsive and negative behaviour that they cannot make any sense of, has left the federation's requests for communication unresponded."

Accordingly, "the Federation has referred Fatma Uruk to the disciplinary board as an administrative measure due to her unfounded allegations and maladaptive behavior." The Federation Chair, in a statement via his spokesperson, has said that "it is an assassination against the national team that Fatma Uruk talks about the violence and discrimination she faced." (CA/EMK/SD)