Scotland's next match in Turkey is in serious doubt at the proposed venue of Diyarbakır after a match there was halted when fans threw knives at the players and chanted terrorist slogans. Steve Clarke's side won promotion this week in the Nations League to the top flight after a hard-fought goalless draw in Poland against Ukraine.
Their last game of 2022 was scheduled to be in November at the Kurdish stronghold city of Diyarbakır., which was set to hold its first ever international match, after tensions in the city between Kurdish separatist groups and government forces eased recently.
Both Turkey manager Stefan Kuntz and Turkish FA president Mehmet Buyukeksi had confirmed the game would be played in the southern city. However, a riot at a second division weekend game in the city has cast serious doubt on the game against Scotland going ahead there.
Amedspor's 2-0 win over Bursaspor was overshadowed by riots in the stadium by the home supporters, with missiles thrown at Bursaspor players including a knife and several glass bottles. They had to be protected by the riot police as the referee took them off the pitch. Additionally, home supporters sang and displayed banners supporting the banned PKK - the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is labelled a terrorist party by the Turkish Government and the USA.
Turkish FA chiefs immediately hit the club with a two-game ground closure and the match against Scotland could now be set to be rearranged to another city in the country. The Turkish Ministry of Interior stated: "An investigation was immediately launched into these actions.
"Despite all the security measures taken in the match played in Diyarbakir, supporters managed to smuggle in weapons by wrapping them around their bodies. Those who want to poison the sport with provocative content will not be given the opportunity under any circumstances."
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