Turkish Soccer Fans March on Revolutionary’s Mausoleum, Demand Justice

In pursuit of justice, hundreds of supporters of Turkish soccer club Fenerbahçe marched to Anıtkabir, the country’s most famous mausoleum, on March 23, 2014.

According to the Hurriyet Daily News, a Turkish publication, protesters chanted “Justice for Turkey, justice for Fenerbahçe” and “Light a torch for justice” during the march to Ankara, where the mausoleum is located.

The protest follows a similar rally for justice held in Istanbul in February. Both rallies were organized as a response to a controversial verdict by Turkey’s Supreme Court, which found Fenerbahçe chairman of thirteen years Aziz Yıldırım and other officials guilty of attempting to fix matches during the 2010-2011 championship.

The Court of Appeals upheld the verdict last month, spurring protests from Fenerbahçe fans around the country. Meanwhile, fans have maintained that Yıldırım has suffered from a plot to oust him as chairman.

Anıtkabir: Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk

Anıtkabir is a mausoleum as well as a symbol of revolution and social justice for Turkey. The mausoleum houses the remains of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey.

Construction on the historical site began in 1944 and was completed in 1953. Anıtkabir is composed of four main sites: the Road of Lions, the Ceremonial Plaza, the Hall of Honor (location of Atatürk’s tomb), and the Peace Park that surrounds the monument. The ceremonial plaza was meant to accommodate 15,000 people. On November 10, 2013, the anniversary of Atatürk’s death, a record-breaking 1,089,615 people visited the memorial site.

Fenerbahçe Sports Club

Fenerbahçe is a sports club based in Istanbul that dates back to 1907. The club competes in many sports, including football (soccer), basketball, volleyball, athletics, swimming, sailing, rowing, boxing and table tennis.

From the mid-2000s onward, Fenerbahçe’s soccer club has enjoyed world-renowned success, courting players from around the world. Fenerbahçe has the distinction of being the only Turkish club to be invited to Europe’s G-14, an association of top clubs. However, the corruption scandal concerning Chairman Aziz Yıldırım in 2011 led to Fenerbahçe’s eventual expulsion from the UEFA Champions League.