ISTANBUL: Turkey’s football leagues will resume on December 19, ending a brief suspension caused by a violent attack on a referee, the federation announced on Wednesday.

Matches were suspen­ded hours after MKA Anka­r­agucu club president Faruk Koca rushed onto the pitch and punched referee Halil Umut Meler after the final whistle in Monday’s first division match in the Turkish capital.

Meler was released from hospital in Ankara on Wednesday, after undergoing observations and receiving a phone call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Meler was seen leaving the hospital with a swollen eye but no other health issues, the chief doctor said.

Mehmet Yorubulut, chief doctor at Acibadem hospital, said the head fracture he suffered would heal in time. “The bleeding in Meler’s left eye has almost completely stopped,” he added.

Turkish Football Federation chief Mehmet Buyukeksi said the sport’s governing body will announce penalties for the altercation on Thursday.

He told reporters that weekend matches will be rescheduled to help deal with the incident’s repercussions.

“We had decided to postpone the matches in all leagues indefinitely. With the decision we took today, all leagues will restart on Tuesday, December 19,” Buyukeksi said.

Buyukeksi added he expected Meler, a respected 37-year-old with accreditation to referee international matches, to recover and join the officiating crew of the Euro 2024 championship to be held between June and July in Germany.

“We expect Halil Umut Meler to take part in Euro 2024. There is no possibility of him quitting refereeing right now.”

Images of Monday’s incident showed Koca rushing onto the pitch with a group of men and knocking out Meler with a blow to the left side of his face.

Meler was kicked several times in the ensuing melee. He released a statement on Tuesday saying Koca had threatened his life.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2023