Attack on Turkish footballer 'accident, not murder attempt': Police

Attack on Turkish footballer 'accident, not murder attempt': Police

ANKARA
Attack on Turkish footballer accident, not murder attempt: Police

DHA photo

A police report described the attack against Fenerbahçe and Turkey midfielder Mehmet Topal as an "accident" and not as an attempted murder, local media reported on Aug. 12.

Topal’s car was targeted as he was heading toward his home after training in the Sancaktepe district of Istanbul. All of the bullets hit the car but Topal escaped unhurt because his car has bullet-proof glass.

The car was hit by a stray bullet "fired from a long distance without targeting it," state-run Anadolu Agency quoted the police report as saying.

Fenerbahçe football club issued a statement following the incident, denouncing it as a terror attack.
   
An unknown assailant opened fire on Fenerbahçe’s team bus late April 4 in Trabzon’s Araklı district, leaving serious facial injuries to the vehicle’s driver in the latest incident to blight Turkish football.

The Turkish Football Federation had suspended all first-tier Spor Toto Super League games, along with the Ziraat Turkey Cup match-ups, for one week following the attack.