Galatasaray expel ex-players with alleged terror ties

After heavy criticism, Galatasaray on Sunday expelled two former players publicly known to have ties with a terror group. The club's management board voted in the extraordinary meeting to cancel the memberships of Hakan Sükür and Arif Erdem, two former Galatasaray and Turkey players.

The club's board in its annual meeting on Saturday expelled several members due to their alleged or established links with the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ) including former Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu and former judiciary member Zekeriya Öz, among others. But Şükür and Erdem were voted to remain part of the club's membership.

On Saturday, Turkey's Sports and Youth Minister Akif Çağatay Kılıç expressed discontent with the decision, saying: "The Galatasaray board need to correct the issue immediately.

"Traitors to our country and our state have no business in our established sports clubs," the minister said. "The board's vote is inexplicable to the families of our martyrs and veterans," he added. Both Şükür and Erdem were in the celebrated squad that won the UEFA Cup in 2000. They are also known to be supporters of FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen, who Ankara says masterminded the July 15 coup attempt. The series of attacks that night pitted members of the Turkish military against law enforcement officers and civilians. The coup resulted in the deaths of 249 people and led to thousands of injuries, leaving an indelible mark on the psyche of the Turkish people.