Orkun Kökçü reacts to heresy! Türkiye's stand against the Netherlands
Beşiktaş , having made two very important moves by signing David Jurasek and Tammy Abraham, made one of the most critical transfers of the season and reached an agreement with Benfica for Orkun Kökçü.
The national player, who has talked about his bond with the black and whites many times, will finally be competing with his jersey.
Orkun Kökçü (Social Media)
Some of the issues that brought Orkun Kökçü to the forefront were anti-LGBT sentiment and his national team preference.
He refused to wear the armband
As part of heresy week, a decision was made that Eredivisie team captains would wear different armbands. However, Orkun Kökçü refused. Feyenoord announced that they respected the decision. Then-manager Arne Slot made a similar statement, announcing that their most important midfielder would be captain. Even Redouan El Yaakoubi, another Rotterdam team who played for Sparta and made the same decision, was left out of the squad.
Orkun Kökçü (Takvim.com.tr)
"I DON'T WANT IT BECAUSE OF MY RELIGIOUS BELIEF"
The 24-year-old football player made a statement after the events, saying: "I believe everyone is free to do what they want or feel. I know very well the importance of this action, but due to my religious beliefs, I do not feel I am the right person to do it.
That's why I don't feel comfortable wearing this captain's armband. I imagine some people might be disappointed in me for this. That's certainly not my intention. While I know my words won't immediately dispel these feelings, I hope this decision, made for religious reasons, is respected.
Orkun Kökçü (Social Media)
My reason for not wearing the captain's armband is entirely based on my faith. I wanted to stay close to myself and my faith. This decision had nothing to do with peer pressure. If I stand by something related to my faith, I will never back down from it. Everyone should respect everyone else. I tried to mention this in my statement. I don't want to be a publicity stunt on this issue."
He broke his fast during the matches
Orkun Kökçü stood out as a football player who fulfilled the requirements of Islam in terms of worship.
Orkun Kökçü (Takvim.com.tr)
He broke his fast many times during matches that fell during Ramadan and continued playing.
He also went to Umrah
Orkun, who is expected to strengthen the Beşiktaş midfield, also visited Umrah.
Orkun Kökçü (Takvim.com.tr)
He came to the fore with the photo he shared with his close friend Mohamed Taabouni.
He played for the Netherlands
Although he currently competes for the Turkish National Team, Orkun represented the Netherlands in the lower age categories.
Orkun Kökçü (Takvim.com.tr)
After making his decision, he was heavily criticized by the media.
Orkun, in a statement regarding his national team selection, said, "Yes, of course they thought it would be more appropriate for me to choose the Netherlands. But I've wanted to play for Turkey since I was a little kid. It didn't take me long to make my decision, and when I announced it, I received a lot of backlash from the Dutch press. The reactions were normal, actually. They eventually accepted it, and the reactions gradually diminished. On the other hand, this isn't just about me. There are other players who have experienced this situation. But my situation has always been very clear: Turkey is my country. And I don't have to please anyone on this matter."
Takvim
