Turkish Footballer Arda Turan Facing 12 Years in Jail Over Nightclub Brawl

Turkish prosecutors filed charges against football player Arda Turan on Monday over a brawl that broke out last week at an Istanbul nightclub between the 31-year-old midfielder and Turkish singer Berkay Sahin.
Sputnik

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The October 10 brawl reportedly started after Turan made suggestive remarks to Sahin's wife, Ozlem Ada Sahin, the BBC reported, citing Turkish media. Sahin, who is known professionally as Berkay, was transported to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for a broken nose after the pair were separated by other club patrons.

However, that wasn't the end of the altercation. Moments later, Turan showed up at the hospital Sahin was taken to in order to beg Sahin for forgiveness over the way he'd acted. A firearm was also brought to the hospital by Turan, surveillance footage from the hospital shows.

It has been reported that Turan begged Sahin to shoot him because he was unaware that the woman he'd made the comments to was actually the singer's wife, according to sports website Goal.com.

​Additional recordings made the rounds on Turkish media, showing the immediate aftermath outside the nightclub after the alleged brawl.

​Prosecutors charged Turan with sexual harassment, unlicensed possession of weapons and causing intentional injury over the fight with Sahin. He is facing 12.5 years in jail. Sahin, however, didn't get away without a few charges of his own. The singer was charged for insulting Turan and is facing a two-year jail term.

​Aside from official charges from prosecutors, Turan was also hit with more than $400,000 in fines by his Turkish football club over the incident. Goal.com reported that the fine was the "heaviest punishment of its kind ever issued to a player in Turkey's top flight."

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The Turkish club explained in a statement that "additional decisions and sanctions" would be at the discretion of the courts and that Turan would still be be held to professional obligations "until the court makes its final decision."

Turan, who is currently on a 2.5-year loan to club Istanbul Basaksehir from Spanish football team FC Barcelona, is known for his poor behavior on and off the field. He was previously given a 16-game ban and fined more than $6,000 in May for shoving and verbally abusing an assistant referee.

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