After addressing Hakan Sukur on air, a Turkish analyst was fired by the state network midway through a World Cup match.
On Thursday, as Alper Bakircigil was commentating on TRT, a surprising thing occurred during Canada's match versus Morocco. After just four minutes, Hakim Ziyech handed the north African team the lead, causing Bakircigil to mention the World Cup goal that was scored the quickest.
That record is held by Turkey's Hakan Sukur, who scored after only 11 seconds against South Korea in the match for third place in the 2002 World Cup play-off. Although true, the fact didn't sit well with his bosses, and when the game resumed for the second half, Bakircigil was substituted by a teammate.
In a since-deleted tweet, Bakircigil stated: "After the tragedy that occurred today, I was expelled from the TRT institution, where I proudly worked for many years. Love includes being apart. Wishing you a happy return. Goodbye..”
Sukur, one of Turkey's most well-known footballers, has 51 goals in 112 international games. However, it is his post-retirement behavior that has made him a contentious figure in Turkey.
Sukur entered politics after working as a pundit for the public broadcaster TRT after retiring. His marriage was also witnessed by current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party, which he joined as an MP.
However, he continued to be close to Fethullah Gulen, a prominent preacher, and later publicly criticized Erdogan on social media. A failed attempt at overthrowing Erdogan's government in July 2016 was attributed to Gulenists, also known as Gulen's supporters.
Sukur's life crumbled as a result of his refusal to reject Gulen in the aftermath. He was able to escape and enter the country, where he began driving for Uber. If he went to Turkey, he would be accused of disrespecting the president and insurrection, crimes that might result in the death penalty or possibly life in jail.
"I'm at my wits' end. Erdogan "took everything: my right to freedom, my right to free speech, and my right to work," the guy claimed in a 2020 interview with the German news organization Welt Am Sonntag. "I never committed any crimes. I am neither a terrorist nor a traitor."I may hate this administration, but neither the Turkish state nor its people are my enemies. I adore my nation. I began to get threats after my breakup with Erdogan. All of my assets were seized, my father was jailed, my wife's shop was damaged, my kids were bullied, and my father was tormented.
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