Fans of Turkish soccer team Besiktas issued a rare call for the resignation of the government in Istanbul on Sunday, joining those of the club Fenerbahçe, nearly three weeks after the devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey.
“
Government, resign!
chanted thousands of supporters of Istanbul's Besiktas team in the Inonu stadium on Sunday evening during the league game against Antalyaspor.
They also threw stuffed animals on the lawn in tribute to the child victims of the February 6 earthquake which killed more than 44,000 people in Turkey and also affected neighboring Syria.
The day before, Fenerbahçe supporters sang “
Lies, cheating, it's been 20 years, resign!
during a match against Konyaspor.
Measures for matches without supporters
Since the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8, the Turkish government has been strongly criticized by the opposition and independent media for its lack of reaction during the first days in devastated areas.
With the approach of the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for May 14, the popularity of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, already damaged by the economic crisis, is suffering a little more.
Open calls for the resignation of the authorities have been rare in Turkey since President Erdogan's hardening of power after the attempted coup against him in 2016. But supporters of Besiktas, one of Istanbul's clubs, are known to be rather close to the opposition.
"
While our country is fighting against the biggest disaster of the century, shouting resignation slogans during the Fenerbahçe-Konyaspor match is irresponsible and senseless
", reacted on Twitter Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Action party, partner of coalition of Mr. Erdogan's AKP party.
He even called on clubs to take "
urgent and necessary measures
" to ensure that matches are played without fans.