A controversial decision to lay off 13 senior Turkish referees issued by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) was overturned Saturday by the TFF's Arbitration Board.
According to the statement made on the website of the TFF, the board examined the objections of referees serving in Turkish Süper Lig and Spor Toto 1. Lig matches, namely Abdulkadir Bitigen, Ali Palabıyık, Alper Ulusoy, Bahattin Şimşek, Burak Şeker, Caner Ak, Cüneyt Çakır, Fırat Aydınus, Hüseyin Göçek, Ibrahim Hakkı Ceylan, Koray Gençerler, Kutluhan Bilgiç, Mert Güzenge, Murat Erdoğan, Mustafa Öğretmenoğlu, Ramazan Keleş, Serkan Tokat and Tugay Kaan Numanoğlu.
As a result of the deliberation made after the oral statements of the Chairperson of the Central Referee Board (MHK) Ferhat Gündoğdu, as well as the lawyers of the parties, the objections of the referees were accepted and it was decided by a majority of votes that the decision taken by the TFF Executive Board on March 8 be rescinded.
In addition to the decision in favor of the referees, the decision regarding the observers Ali Uluyol, Süleyman Abay and Taner Gizlenci was also overturned.
With the reversal of the decisions, the referees and observers previously dismissed by the MHK will be able to take part in the remaining matches.
