Turkish footballer Aykut Demir, the captain of Turkey’s second-tier club Erzurumspor refused to wear a ‘No to War’ t-shirt in solidarity with Ukraine in their 0-1 loss to Ankaragucu.
He was the only player from his team to opt out against wearing the tshirt, causing some stir among fans.
After the game, however, Demir explained his reasoning and told Football Anatolia: “Thousands of people die every day in the Middle East.
“Those who ignore the persecution there and do not speak up do these things when it comes to Europe.
“I feel sad too. I share the pain of innocent people. Those who ignore the persecution there are doing these things when it comes to Europe.
“I did not like to wear the T-shirt because it was not made for those countries. I am also sad that there is war anywhere in the world. I share the pain of innocent people.”
UEFA and FIFA have already shown their support for Ukraine by banning the Russia national team and their clubs from international tournaments after their military invasion of Ukraine last week.
