Turkish media has responded angrily to Fifa’s punishment ordering Turkey to play its next six home matches abroad and behind closed doors, in a move seen as jeopardising its chances of qualifying for Euro 2008.
The sanctions imposed by football's governing body was in response to ugly scenes witnesses at their World Cup qualifier against Switzerland in Istanbul.
Turkey has vowed to appeal the ruling, which the country's sports minister described as politically motivated, and influenced by the Swiss Fifa President Sepp Blatter.
"A Clash of Civilisations," said a headline in the Islamic-leaning Yeni Safak newspaper. "The increasing political hostility in Europe is reflected in the decisions of Fifa’s disciplinary committee."
The committee was chaired by Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
The sanctions, which apply to official matches and not friendlies, are among the most severe handed out to a national association and papers said it unfairly punished the fans.
In effect it means that Turkey must play their entire qualification programme for the 2008 European championships abroad. They have been drawn alongside European champions Greece, Norway, Bosnia, Hungary, Moldova and Malta in qualifying Group C.
"What is the spectator's crime? An unjust punishment from Fifa," the daily Sabah newspaper said in a front-page headline.
The paper published Fifa’s phone and fax numbers and called on readers to send a protest letter to Blatter, providing a sample letter in English.
"It is clear that you don't like to see our country in Switzerland at Euro 2008 but I am sure we will succeed in qualifying for the finals. We will be there," the letter said.
Fifa said in a statement yesterday that two Turkish players, Alpay Ozalan and Emre Belozoglu, would be banned for six matches as would Switzerland's Benjamin Huggel who admitted kicking Turkish assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek.
Turkey were also fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($154,200). A number of other players and officials from both teams received fines and suspensions.
Turkey's football federation said it would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
"I describe this decision as unacceptable. This is a political decision rather than a sports decision," Turkey's sports minister Mehmet Ali Sahin told NTV news channel.
Switzerland won November's two-legged play-off to qualify for the 2006 World Cup starting in June at the expense of Turkey, semi-finalists in 2002.
Ozdilek has been ordered to stay away from soccer for 12 months for his part in the incidents. He resigned after television pictures showed him attempting to trip a Swiss player as they left the pitch.
Television pictures showed defender Alpay kicking Swiss forward Marco Streller in the players' tunnel after the game.
Fifa held a meeting on Monday and Tuesday at their Zurich headquarters to decide the punishments.
