On Friday night, Marko Ivkovic, a fan of the Serbian basketball team Red Star Belgrade a.k.a. Crvena Zvezda, was stabbed and killed in Istanbul, Turkey while en route to attend a Euroleague match between his side and the Turkish basketball club Galatasaray. The violence was committed by a gang of Turkish citizens who attacked a larger group of Red Star fans in the lead-up to the match.
As a result of the tragedy, the Turkish Basketball Federation made the decision to pay a minute of silence before every Turkish Basketball League game on Sunday in memory of Ivkovic. It seems like a simple enough tribute, right?
However, in the Sunday game between Galatasaray and Besitkas—another Turkish club—certain fans in attendance could not respect the reverence. During the pre-game minute, booing and chanting from the audience could be heard throughout the arena, creating a visible discomfort in the players and coaches on the court. After the minute was over, Galatasaray's coach unsuccessfully attempted to quiet the crowd, which at that point was yelling, "Turkey! Turkey!"
Watch the video above to see the entire moment unfold. SMH. Clearly, the tensions between Turkey and Serbia run deeper than basketball.
[via Tanjug.Exactly]
