Beşiktaş GAIN powered into the EuroCup quarter-finals with a commanding 114-74 win over Panionios Athens, but the emphatic victory was overshadowed by an offensive banner displayed by home supporters that drew strong condemnation from both the club and the Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF).
The Group B finale at Makis Liougas Sports Hall marked Beşiktaş’s 13th win of the regular season and sealed second place with a 13-5 record.
The 40-point margin also stood out as one of the team’s most prolific scoring nights in the competition, underlining their title credentials heading into the knockout stage.
Yet attention quickly shifted from the scoreboard to the stands.
During the game, a group of Panionios fans unveiled a banner containing profane and insulting language directed at Beşiktaş, its supporters and the Turkish Police Force.
Some of the wording was written in Turkish, amplifying the sense of provocation.
The message was widely viewed in Türkiye as crossing the line from rivalry into hate speech and an attack on national and spiritual values.
Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club responded with a sharply worded statement, describing the banner as vile and provocative, and as an assault not only on the club but on the honor and history of the Turkish nation. The club said it had launched legal and administrative proceedings before EuroLeague management, which oversees the EuroCup, to ensure those responsible face severe sanctions.
The Turkish Basketball Federation echoed that stance. In a statement published on its official social media accounts, TBF said it “strongly condemns” the banner, calling it contrary to fair play, international sporting respect and the universal values of sport. The federation stressed that no sporting event can serve as a platform for hate speech, discrimination or insults against national values.
TBF urged EuroCup and EuroLeague organizers to conduct a full investigation, identify those responsible and apply firm disciplinary measures.
It also called on organizers to strengthen security standards and preventive measures to ensure similar incidents do not recur.
The federation pledged to continue monitoring the process and to stand against any discriminatory or provocative acts targeting Turkish clubs in international arenas.
The episode adds to a pattern of recent incidents involving Turkish teams abroad.
Last November, Serbian supporters displayed a banner during a Partizan-Fenerbahçe Beko EuroLeague game depicting historical imagery offensive to Turks, prompting complaints and a 40,000-euro fine for Partizan.
In football, Fenerbahçe also faced a hostile banner from Viktoria Plzen fans in a UEFA Europa League match, with critics arguing that subsequent fines were insufficient as a deterrent.
As of Wednesday, EuroLeague had not announced disciplinary action regarding the Panionios-Beşiktaş game.
