Turkish football club stuck in Israeli airport

Israel has created all kinds of difficulties for group by closing electronic system, crossings, says Demir Grup Sivasspor

By Emrah Oktay

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish football club Demir Grup Sivasspor are stranded at an airport in Israel on their way back to Turkey, the team said early Friday.

“Our group, preparing to return to Sivas after the Maccabi Tel-Aviv match, is stuck in the airport. The Israeli authorities are creating all kinds of difficulties for our group by closing the [electronic] system and crossings,” the team said on its social media account, sharing a video from the airport.

The video shows the group waiting at the airport in Tel Aviv. Mecnun Otyakmaz, the football club’s chairman, and club officials protested to Israeli officers with applause.

"They said the automatic pass system was malfunctioning. They tried to process things manually. There is only one officer," Otyakmaz told Anadolu Agency.

"We’ve been stuck here for two hours. The treatment was very uncomfortable," he said, adding they are waiting patiently and calmly.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

Kaynak: