Arrests follow referee punch in Turkey
The president of top tier Turkish soccer club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on Tuesday for punching a referee in the face at the end of a match, with the official telling police that Koca had threatened to kill him. The arrest followed an outbreak of violence during Super Lig club Ankaragucu's home match against Rizespor on Monday evening. Referee Halil Umut Meler, who was also kicked while lying on the pitch, said that Koca had also threatened him and his colleagues, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported. "Faruk Koca punched me under my left eye; I fell to the ground. While I was on the ground, other people kicked me in the face and other parts of my body many times," he said. "Koca said to me and my colleagues, 'I will finish you'. Addressing me, he said, 'I will kill you'." The Turkish court which made the arrest ruling also remanded in custody two other suspects over the incident. Koca resigned as president of Ankaragucu on Tuesday, and the club later said his deputy, Ismail Mert Firat, had been elected to the post by the club's board. The Turkish Football Federation said it had suspended all leagues after the "shameful" incident in Ankara. (Reuters)