Turkey’s sports world, led by the football community, has "raised a united voice against the failed coup attempt that targeted the country’s democratic parliamentary system," according to the Hurriyet DAILY NEWS. A Turkish Football Federation statement said, "As the Turkish Football Federation, we believe a military uprising is unacceptable in the democratic Turkish Republic. There can be no power over the will of our people." Turkey's football clubs "also condemned the coup attempt." Beşiktaş tweeted, "Long live democracy, no to coups." Fenerbahçe’s official account tweeted, "We are always on the side of democracy, not on the side of coups." Galatasaray said, "We stand by democracy," using the hashtag #DarbeyeHayir (No to coups). Meanwhile, a charity match to mark the 10th anniversary of the Samuel Eto’o Foundation, scheduled to be played on July 16 in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, "was called off after the failed coup attempt" (DAILY NEWS, 7/17). The AFP reported Ligue 1 side Olympic Lyonnais was "nervously awaiting a flight home from Istanbul" on Saturday after its friendly with Fenerbahce was cancelled "because of the bloody coup attempt." OL arrived Friday for a match scheduled for Saturday night and "even enjoyed a light training session late in the evening at Fenerbahce's stadium in Istanbul." But the club was "soon holed up" in its Marriott Asia Hotel, "a good 20km away from the main violence, as hundreds died in a military uprising." OL President Jean-Michel Aulas said, "The players are in no danger at all" (AFP, 7/16). In London, Jack de Menezes reported Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan is "stranded in Turkey following the failed coup on Friday night that saw more than 161 people killed." A faction of the Turkish military "attempted to overthrow the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government late on Friday night, with military vehicles seen in the streets across the country and more than 1,000 people wounded." Flights in and out of Turkey "have been suspended due to the unrest," leaving Barcelona midfielder and Turkey int'l Turan and former players Carles Puyol, Deco and Eric Abidal stranded in Turkey. A Barcelona statement read, "FC Barcelona players Andres Iniesta and Leo Messi, who were set to play a friendly match in Turkey organised by former Barca star Samuel Eto’o, are in Spain. FC Barcelona player Arda Turan, former players Carles Puyol, Deco and Eric Abidal, as well as former director Alejandro Echevarria, are in Turkey, far from areas of danger and in constant contact with the club" (INDEPENDENT, 7/16).
