The Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe match, originally scheduled to take place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on December 29, 2023, has been postponed to a later date. This has resulted in a significant amount of information pollution circulating both domestically and internationally.
It has been found that information pollution has arisen from both systematic disinformation campaigns by certain groups that undermine our nation's shared values and sensitivities, as well as from a lack of information among some individuals.
Hence, it became necessary to address the events and inform the public about disinformation campaigns that posed a threat to the peace and security of our society.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has drafted a proposal to provide additional revenue to Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray clubs for the Super Cup final. The presidents of both clubs granted a proxy to the TFF for the Super Cup final in August 2023.
The 2023 Turkcell Super Cup competition has been scheduled and arranged by the clubs and the TFF through a collaborative decision. The decision was made to hold it in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, with the highest bidder.
Following the joint decision, the match is set to take place on December 29, 2023, at 20:45 Turkish local time.
Prior to the organisation of the match, the TFF and the Saudi Arabian authorities agreed on a protocol on October 20, 2023. This protocol outlined the rules and principles that would be followed both on the pitch and in the stands.
The contract specifies that the rules of FIFA, AFC, UEFA, and other international football governing bodies will be applicable.
The officials of the TFF and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement that, despite the match not being a national one, the National Anthem would be sung and Turkish flags would be displayed. This decision was made in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
The clubs demanded that their request for the teams to come on to the pitch wearing t-shirts featuring Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and banners bearing his quotes to warm up just before the game be added to the protocol already agreed upon between the TFF and the Saudi authorities.
The Saudi Arabian authorities declined to include these requests in the current protocol right before the match on the grounds that it goes against the international regulations and guidelines, which were previously agreed upon with the TFF.
Due to these developments, the matter has been brought to the attention of the Turkish public through social media, and it has been discovered that disinformation has been spread regarding the issue.
Insulting expressions directed towards our state institutions and national values have been observed, which is unacceptable.
The Centre for Combating Disinformation has denied the allegations that "the National Anthem will not be sung at the start of the match and Turkish flags are not allowed on the pitch," based on information obtained from the parties involved.
As the debate raged on in Turkish public opinion, the clubs and the TFF issued a joint statement, declaring that the match had been postponed to a future date. The joint statements included the following statements:
"Respectfully announced to the public:
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of our Republic and the Turkish Football Federation abroad, the 2023 Super Cup match, which was scheduled to take place on Friday, December 29, 2023, at 20.45, and which we organised with our clubs to contribute to the brand value of Turkish football and our clubs, has been postponed to a later date as a result of a joint decision we have made with our clubs due to some organisational issues.
We would like to express our gratitude to the Football Association of the host country, as well as the relevant institutions and organisations, for their efforts in organising the Super Cup thus far.
The Turkish Football Federation
Fenerbahçe Sports Club
Galatasaray Sports Club"
After the Super Cup match was postponed, the Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe teams headed back home this morning.
Please refrain from giving any credence to disinformation campaigns that aim to exploit public sensitivities.