Turkish star quits team over Jerusalem controversy
26 Dec 2017 10:26 PM IST
Istanbul: One of Turkey's best known professional cyclists has joined a homegrown Turkish team after quitting his Israeli outfit due to the controversy generated by the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reports said on Tuesday.
Ahmet Orken, who will now cycle for Salcano Sakarya Buyuksehir in the Turkish Black Sea region of Sakarya, cited pressures on his family following the Jerusalem recognition as the reason for his departure.
Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has strongly opposed Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, calling a summit of Islamic countries that declared East Jerusalem the Palestinian capital.
Ankara has full diplomatic ties with Israel, although the relationship is only now recovering from the deadly 2010 storming by Israeli commanders of a Turkish vessel bound for Gaza. Erdogan has in recent weeks bitterly criticised Israel.
"It was a difficult period in the last two weeks," Orken said, quoted by the Dogan news, as he signed the contract in Sakarya on Monday.
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