By Michalis Gioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – The Turkish federation social media accounts retracted a post which had a photo of Cedi Osman and Giannis Antetokounmpo with the words “No mercy” in it.
The post was made after the semifinal win of Turkey over Greece and the Greek basketball federation made an official complain both to the Turkish federation and to FIBA about the wording used.
The Turkish side apologized and erased the posts, adding that it was unauthorized by the federation management.
On top of that, an Instagram post by Alperen Sengun has created backlash in Greece.
The post includes the text “İyi gelmez mi hiç deniz havası?” coupled with the Turkish flag.
While it’s a verse from the song used in the same post, it translates to “Isn’t the sea breeze good?” and it’s perceived as a nod to the 1922 great fire of the seaside city of Smyrna, the modern Izmir, while the Turkish army led by Kemal Atatürk entered the city, which resulted in the death and relocation of local Greek, Armenian and other non-Turkish population. The post also includes an AI-created photo of the current Turkish basketball national team together with Kemal Atatürk.
For Greek citizens, this event carries the following meaning: it is remembered as the 1922 disaster of Smyrna, marked by tragedy, displacement, and the loss of the Greek community.
For Turkish citizens, the meaning of this incident is different: The Liberation of Izmir is one of the most important turning points in the independence struggle of the Republic of Turkey. September 9, 1922, is remembered as the day when the War of Independence was crowned with victory, Izmir was liberated from enemy occupation, and the independence hopes of the Turkish nation became tangible.