After the October 7th massacre and the outbreak of the “Iron Swords” war, a Turkish athlete who won the European Kung Fu Championship raised the Palestinian flag on the winners’ podium as a show of solidarity with Gaza. Recently, following a prolonged disciplinary process, the European federation decided to revoke his title. In protest, he threw his gold medal into the Nile. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority quickly praised his act and awarded him the “Jerusalem Medal” and the title Knight of Jerusalem
A Political Gesture on the Podium: When Sports Becomes a Global Stage
In December 2023, two months into the war, the European Kung Fu Championship took place in Istanbul and quickly turned into a political arena. Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz, a Turkish athlete who won gold in his weight category, used his moment on the podium to express solidarity with the Palestinians
While standing atop the podium, Akyüz raised the Palestinian flag and performed the traditional dabke dance. According to him, the gesture was meant to be “a voice for the oppressed.” However, not everyone in the sports community welcomed the move. The European Kung Fu Federation (WKFE) launched an investigation into the incident
In its statement, the federation declared that “political demonstrations” were inconsistent with its values and standards. The case sparked widespread debate over the role of political expression in international sports. Akyüz himself showed no remorse and stated he would do it again—even if it cost him his titles and career
“You can punish me, you can strip my titles. I don’t care. I did it knowing it could end my career,” Akyüz said. He sharply criticized the federation, claiming it had “no humanity, no conscience, no honor, and no integrity.” The disciplinary process concluded with the federation revoking his European title
The Medal in the Nile – and the Palestinian Recognition That Made Him a Symbol
As the disciplinary process was underway, the Palestinian Authority praised Akyüz’s gesture and solidarity with the Palestinian people. As a token of appreciation for his support and the personal cost he paid, the PA awarded him the Jerusalem Medal and the title “Knight of Jerusalem
Recently, while in Egypt, Akyüz threw his gold medal into the Nile River. According to him, the act was a protest against what he called “oppression against me and Palestine.” Standing above the Nile, he declared: “They [the federation] threatened to strip my medals and end my career. The two stripes on their Zionist rags [Israeli flags] represent the Nile and the Euphrates and the land between them. Now I’m standing above the river they talk about. As long as we live, that land won’t be theirs
He added that he intends to throw another medal into the Euphrates as a continuation of his protest
Avrupa Şampiyonluk madalyası kazandığım ödül töreni sırasında Filistin’e verdiğim destekten dolayı hakkımda soruşturma açıldı, kazandığım hiçbir başarı Filistin’deki mazlumların tek damla kanından daha önemli değil.
Zalim şerefsizlere ve onların köpeklerine lafım; davam uğruna… pic.twitter.com/QM9kZJiuxi
— Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz (@neakyuz) May 26, 2025
