Turkey's Calhanoglu available again after 4-month ban

By Doga Kirmizioglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu's four-month ban imposed by FIFA following a breach of contract in 2011 is now over.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued its decision over the dispute between Calhanoglu and Turkish football club Trabzonspor on February 2.

In 2011, Hakan Calhanoglu was paid €100,000 ($108,000) after agreeing to sign for Trabzonspor in the future, when he was a youth player at German club Karlsruher.

In 2013, Trabzonspor lodged a claim to FIFA arguing that Calhanoglu had breached the terms of their employment contract without just cause when the player signed a contract for Karlsruher.

The 22-year-old Turkish international had to pay €100,000 to Trabzonspor.

Calhanoglu's ban caused him to miss the final 16 matches of his team's Bundesliga campaign, also Leverkusen's UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid.

Germany's first football division Bundesliga welcomed the midfielder, with a headline 'Welcome back, Hakan Calhanoglu!' posted on its official webpage.