Football club Amedspor from Diyarbakir has once again caused a major surprise in Turkey. The club with a Kurdish identity won last night against Besiktas 3-2 and is now even at the top of the Turkish league.
In Diyarbakir and the region, in the southeast of the country, this was celebrated grandly. "This is something to be very proud of," says a fan shortly after the match. "Not only for the residents of Diyarbakir, but for all Kurds. From Van, Batman, it doesn't matter. All Kurds are proud of Amedspor at this moment."
That the club is now at the top is remarkable. In the past, the club has faced opposition. For example, fans were sometimes not allowed to attend away matches. The club also has significantly fewer financial resources than the traditional top clubs. By comparison: Besiktas's budget is ten times higher.
"Unlike other clubs, we are not a company; we stay afloat thanks to the support of the people, thanks to the shirts people buy and thanks to ticket sales," says chairman Nahit Eren to NOS.
According to many, it is therefore a special achievement that this club, as a debutant, takes the lead after six matches. For some fans, it feels as if they have won the league.
Kurdish identity
Amedspor is closely connected to the Kurdish identity, but supporters emphasize that the club also stands for equal rights and women's rights for them. Many Kurds have been fighting for decades for political and cultural rights in Turkey. Winning on the football field is therefore about much more than just football.
This is also visible in the stands. Two 22-year-old women, Berfin Ayder and Evindar Tan from the women's supporters group Mor Tribun, try to raise awareness for women's rights through the matches. "Women are killed and harassed. If we hang a banner here, it has a greater chance of becoming visible internationally."
According to Berfin, sport also fosters brotherhood. "We can also say that we are Kurds, we can speak Kurdish. More and more women are joining us, there are many people involved in the surrounding areas. There are not only Kurdish women, but also Turkish women who join."
Yellow bags
Yet sometimes tensions run high in the stands. There are fans of other teams with nationalist views. For example, recently a supporter in the northeast of Turkey was attacked on the street and suffered a broken nose because he was wearing an Amedspor jersey.
There are also the yellow plastic bags on social media or in the stands. It is a reference to the yellow bags in which bodies of Kurdish militants were transported. Turkey waged a bloody conflict for years with the Kurdish PKK in which more than 40,000 people died. Currently, there are talks about peace and disarmament.
Thus, some away matches carry much more weight than an ordinary football match. Security measures around matches are therefore heavy. According to the chairman of Amedspor, about 1,500 police officers and 500 private security guards are deployed at a home match.
Breaking prejudices
At the same time, the club also manages to touch hearts outside the predominantly Kurdish Diyarbakir. People from other parts of Turkey follow Amedspor and fans also travel from Europe to the city. During yesterday's match, there were fans from the Netherlands and Germany.
According to Eren, the sporting success helps in the way the club is viewed. The team's success also leads to solidarity among Kurds with different views. "Actually, certain prejudices are removed because of this," says chairman Eren. Sometimes Turkish flags can even be seen waving in the stands. "People from the Black Sea region, the Aegean region and the Marmara region also follow Amedspor with interest."
A team that was previously mainly seen as a Kurdish nationalist or politically charged club thus receives more national attention through success. And the club also sees opportunities there. Eren especially wants to build a sustainable club, supported by the community.
According to 22-year-old Berfin, they are far from done: "You think certain prejudices have been removed, but it remains a long road with obstacles, but not an impossible one."