Turkish federation asks FIFA and UEFA to remove Israel from competitions

President of the Turkish Football Federation Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has written to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to remove Israel from football competitions.

The president of the Turkish federation has also written to national federations, asking them to decide to ban Israel from participating.

Turkey’s request comes as the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) appears to be preparing for an emergency vote on suspending Israel from its competitions. The vote will take place next week, while national football federations are facing increasing political pressure following calls for action.

“Despite positioning themselves as defenders of civic values and peace, the world of sport and football institutions have remained silent for far too long,” Haciosmanoglu wrote in the letter, the “Anadolu” agency reports.

“Guided by these values, we feel compelled to express our deep concern regarding the unlawful (and, more importantly, completely inhumane and unacceptable) situation being carried out by the State of Israel in Gaza and the surrounding areas,” the letter from the president of the Turkish Football Federation further states.

Haciosmanoglu wrote that the situation had been desperate for a long time, but had reached a new level of urgency in recent days following the intervention of various institutions.

Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza.

The Israel Football Association has said it has no indication that it could be suspended by UEFA. The association has stated that it is preparing for its next two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

Israel competes in UEFA competitions after being removed from the Asian Football Confederation in 1974. Israel was expelled from Asia by a vote after several countries refused to play against it.

In 1991, UEFA allowed Israel’s national team to participate in European competitions. A year later, Israeli clubs began competing in UEFA competitions. Since 1994, Israel has been a full member of the Union of European Football Associations.