Hakan Sukur’s fall from grace in Turkey
Once celebrated as Turkey’s greatest ever goalscorer, Hakan Sukur now faces death threats if he returns to his homeland, having become embroiled in a bitter political dispute with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports BritPanorama.
The former striker, who scored 51 goals in 112 appearances for Turkey, currently resides in the United States where he drives for Uber and sells books to make ends meet.
Sukur’s decline is rooted in his political entanglements; he was previously a member of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) but left amid disagreements. After aligning himself with Fethullah Gulen, a rival of the president, things took a drastic turn for the worse.
In 2016, following a failed coup in Turkey, Sukur faced charges of insulting Erdogan on social media. An arrest warrant was issued, prompting him to flee to the United States where he has lived in exile ever since. The Turkish government subsequently seized his assets, effectively stripping him of his identity and citizenship.
During his illustrious career, Sukur left an indelible mark on Turkish football, notably during Turkey’s surprise run to third place in the 2002 World Cup, where he scored the fastest goal in tournament history just 10.8 seconds into a match against South Korea.
Both his achievements on the pitch and his status as a national hero have been overshadowed by his turbulent political history. Despite his denouncement of the coup attempt, he has been labeled a “fugitive member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation,” a label he vehemently rejects: “I never did anything illegal, I am not a traitor or a terrorist.”
The fallout has been severe; even mentions of his namesake from commentators have been met with hostility, highlighting how divisive political undercurrents have transformed his legacy. Yet, Sukur remains hopeful about returning to Turkey, stating, “It’s my country; I love my people, even though their ideas about me are distorted by controlled media.”
In the world of sports, Sukur’s journey serves as a poignant reminder of how political tides can alter careers, echoing how sport and politics are often inextricably linked, influencing narratives and lives in unpredictable ways.
