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TURKISH WRESTLER SHAMED IN TWITTER RING AVOIDS COUNT ON RACISM BAN FOR NOW
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 14 2013
ISTANBUL
Olympic bronze medalist wrestler Rıza Kayaalp (C) has been cleared
to participate in next month's World Championships after FILA's latest
decision. AA Photo
Wrestling's governing body (FILA) has delayed Rıza Kayaalp's
suspension for racism, announcing that the case will be reviewed
after next month's World Championships.
Kayaalp was handed a six-month ban by FILA earlier this month, but
the Turkish Wrestling Federation (TGF) appealed the decision. FILA
then ruled to postpone the case, opting to review the case against
the former world and European champion athlete's anti-Armenian tweets.
A day earlier, TGF Chairman Hamza Yerlikaya defended Kayaalp, calling
the ban, which barred him from next month's World Championships, was
"unlawful" and vowed to take the issue to Court of Arbitration for
Sport (CAS) if their appeal to FILA was not successful.
Wrestler's defense
Yerlikaya hinted that the TGF would argue the controversial tweets
had not been written by Kayaalp.
In June, an account nicknamed @rizakayaalpriza, which was believed
to belong to the champion wrestler, blamed Gezi Park protesters
for "leaving the streets to Armenians" and claimed that "Armenia is
having a festival" seeing the anti-government rallies in Turkey. After
controversy erupted, the tweets were deleted but Kayaalp indirectly
admitted to posting those tweets when he spoke to the state-run
Anadolu Agency, where he said he was "misunderstood" and said his
tweets were about people who were burning and crushing things.
"There is not a racist statement by our kid," Yerlikaya said. "There
are some tweets posted by second or third persons. That is not certain,
either."
August/13/2013
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 14 2013
ISTANBUL
Olympic bronze medalist wrestler Rıza Kayaalp (C) has been cleared
to participate in next month's World Championships after FILA's latest
decision. AA Photo
Wrestling's governing body (FILA) has delayed Rıza Kayaalp's
suspension for racism, announcing that the case will be reviewed
after next month's World Championships.
Kayaalp was handed a six-month ban by FILA earlier this month, but
the Turkish Wrestling Federation (TGF) appealed the decision. FILA
then ruled to postpone the case, opting to review the case against
the former world and European champion athlete's anti-Armenian tweets.
A day earlier, TGF Chairman Hamza Yerlikaya defended Kayaalp, calling
the ban, which barred him from next month's World Championships, was
"unlawful" and vowed to take the issue to Court of Arbitration for
Sport (CAS) if their appeal to FILA was not successful.
Wrestler's defense
Yerlikaya hinted that the TGF would argue the controversial tweets
had not been written by Kayaalp.
In June, an account nicknamed @rizakayaalpriza, which was believed
to belong to the champion wrestler, blamed Gezi Park protesters
for "leaving the streets to Armenians" and claimed that "Armenia is
having a festival" seeing the anti-government rallies in Turkey. After
controversy erupted, the tweets were deleted but Kayaalp indirectly
admitted to posting those tweets when he spoke to the state-run
Anadolu Agency, where he said he was "misunderstood" and said his
tweets were about people who were burning and crushing things.
"There is not a racist statement by our kid," Yerlikaya said. "There
are some tweets posted by second or third persons. That is not certain,
either."
August/13/2013