Turkish football club RAMS Başakşehir on Thursday announced it had fined Israeli player Eden Karzev for a social media post in support of Israel and said it would be appropriate if the player pursued his career overseas.
The Istanbul side launched disciplinary proceedings against Karzev earlier this week after he posted a message on social media calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas after the Palestinian resistance group launched an attack against Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel has since been conducting relentless bombardment and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
These have killed more than 24,600 Palestinians, around 70% of them women, children and adolescents, according to Gaza health ministry figures.
The death toll in Israel stands at 1,140 according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally based on official Israeli figures.
The conflict has led to the displacement of more than 85% of the population in the Gaza Strip – approximately 1.9 million residents – according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.
"The player was fined in accordance with the club's disciplinary instructions, and it was deemed appropriate for the football player to continue his career abroad," Başakşehir said of Karzev in a statement.
The club sent the midfielder – capped five times by Israel – on loan to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"Eden Karzev returns to Maccabi after an agreement was reached with Turkish side Basaksehir for the loan of the 23-year-old midfielder until the end of the 2023/24 season with an option to make the move permanent," the Israeli side said.
The probe came the same day another Israeli footballer, Sagiv Jehezkel, was briefly detained for allegedly inciting hatred by displaying a provocative message after scoring a goal for Antalyaspor during a Süper Lig game.
Jehezkel displayed a bandage on his wrist with the words "100 Days 7.10" – in reference to Oct. 7, the day of Hamas' attack against Israel – next to a Star of David.
Jehezkel left Türkiye after being formally charged in an Istanbul court on Monday.
Israel claims that Hamas has been holding 136 Israelis in Gaza. Hamas demands a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in exchange for releasing Israeli prisoners in its custody.
Başakşehir Karzev's post had "violated the sensitive values of our country."
Both players' gestures were deemed to be provocative in Türkiye, where there is widespread public opposition to Israel's military actions in Gaza and overwhelming support for the Palestinians.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been the Muslim world's harshest critic of Israel over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza.
