Erdoğan blames the opposition, not Saudi Arabia, for the Super Cup
President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chairperson Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the issue of the Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe football teams, which was originally scheduled to be played in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia last week but was postponed due to the Atatürk crisis.
During his speech at the program where the 2023 foreign trade data was announced, Erdoğan attributed the blame to opposition parties.
Erdoğan referred to Saudi Arabia as a friendly country and characterized the incident as a "sinister operation against Turkey's interests."
The "Super Cup" final between Turkey's two major football teams, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 29 had been cancelled after the Saudi Arabian Football Federation did not approve the request of Galatasaray players to warm up on the field wearing Atatürk shirts, it was reported.
Similarly, it was announced that Fenerbahçe Club requested to enter the field with a banner featuring Atatürk's famous quote "Peace at Home, Peace in the World", and Galatasaray Club expressed the desire to include the "How happy is the one who says, 'I am a Turk'" banner in the pre-match ceremony. However, both of these requests were reportedly denied by the Saudi authorities, resulting in the two teams to leave Riyadh and return to Turkey without playing the final.
Super Cup final in Riyadh canceled, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe teams have left stadium
Erdoğan spoke as follows:
We are aware of attempts to sever our country from brotherly nations through various provocations and malicious rhetoric. During the summer months, there was a campaign with external connections aimed at undermining tourism, one of the most significant sources of income for our country. Now, we see a similar wave being attempted, this time through sports, with the support of opposition parties.
People, societies, beliefs, and countries are being targeted with hate speech that we will never condone. Individuals are being scorned, humiliated, and subjected to insults solely based on their origins. We are facing a frenzy that extends to Islamophobia and xenophobia. Unfortunately, opposition actors are willingly engaging in this disgraceful, sordid, and highly dangerous politics of hatred just to stay in the spotlight.
The fact that this wave of hatred targets brotherly nations investing in Turkey, standing by us during difficult times, and being among our most significant trading partners is by no means a coincidence. There is a clear attempt at a sinister operation and an overt sabotage against Turkey and its interests. Just as we have discarded dirty scenarios in the past, we will certainly thwart this game as well."
Economy
Erdoğan also provided the export figures for 2023 in his speech. He mentioned that Turkey grew by 5.9% in the third quarter of 2023, emphasizing that the growth has been uninterrupted for the last 13 quarters. He stated that Turkey is the second-fastest-growing country among G-20 nations.
Erdoğan did not address the issue of the working class not benefiting from the growth in his speech but acknowledged the ongoing high inflation. Referring to the Central Bank's decision to raise the policy interest rate as a "measure implemented," Erdoğan said, "Especially from the second half of the year, if there are no new extraordinary developments in the global economy, we will see the effects of our policies more clearly."
(HA/PE)