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<\/p>\n
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 Aky\u00fcz, a Turkish athlete who won gold in his weight category, used his moment on the podium to express solidarity with the Palestinians<\/p>\n
While standing atop the podium, Aky\u00fcz 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<\/p>\n
In its statement, the federation declared that \u201cpolitical demonstrations\u201d were inconsistent with its values and standards. The case sparked widespread debate over the role of political expression in international sports. Aky\u00fcz himself showed no remorse and stated he would do it again\u2014even if it cost him his titles and career<\/p>\n
“You can punish me, you can strip my titles. I don\u2019t care. I did it knowing it could end my career,” Aky\u00fcz 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<\/p>\n
As the disciplinary process was underway, the Palestinian Authority praised Aky\u00fcz\u2019s 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<\/p>\n
Recently, while in Egypt, Aky\u00fcz threw his gold medal into the Nile River. According to him, the act was a protest against what he called \u201coppression against me and Palestine.\u201d 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\u2019t be theirs<\/p>\n
He added that he intends to throw another medal into the Euphrates as a continuation of his protest<\/p>\n
\nAvrupa \u015eampiyonluk madalyas\u0131 kazand\u0131\u011f\u0131m \u00f6d\u00fcl t\u00f6reni s\u0131ras\u0131nda Filistin\u2019e verdi\u011fim destekten dolay\u0131 hakk\u0131mda soru\u015fturma a\u00e7\u0131ld\u0131, kazand\u0131\u011f\u0131m hi\u00e7bir ba\u015far\u0131 Filistin\u2019deki mazlumlar\u0131n tek damla kan\u0131ndan daha \u00f6nemli de\u011fil.<\/p>\n
Zalim \u015ferefsizlere ve onlar\u0131n k\u00f6peklerine laf\u0131m; davam u\u011fruna\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/QM9kZJiuxi<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Necmettin Erbakan Aky\u00fcz (@neakyuz) May 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n