Turkish wrestler known for racist messages appointed to a state position
Turkish wrestler Riza Kayaalp former world and European Greco-Roman wrestling champion has been appointed as Advisor at the county’s Ministry of Sport and Youth affairs, Ermenihaber reported.
The appointment signed by Turkish President Erdogan has raised criticism among several media outlets and social media users, pointing to the wrestlers’ past racist remarks.
It is reported that Kayaalp was given an immediate suspension of six months by the FILA judge for racist remarks against Armenians and Greeks in August 2013, notably missing the 2013 Wrestling World Championships.
He had targeted Greeks and Armenians in his tweets posted about the Gezi Park protests, advocating that “Armenians” were at the root of the Gezi protests in a series of tweets he later deleted after a reaction from the media.