Bilal Meşe

Turkey to play Kosovo under shadow of Arda Turan saga

The Turkish national football team will play a crucial 2018 World Cup qualifying stage game at Kosovo on June 11, but the competition on the pitch is the least of coach Fatih Terim's problems.

The national team has been involved in a scandal since June 5, when team captain and Barcelona player Arda Turan verbally and physically assaulted a veteran journalist on the team plane. 

Barcelona's Arda Turan fires back at football federation, calls attack on journalist an 'honorable mistake'

Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan has defended himself after his physical and verbal assault on a sports journalist, which led to his dismissal from the Turkish national squad, as an "honorable mistake."

Turkish international Barcelona player Arda Turan verbally, physically attacks sports journalist on plane

Turkish international and Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan has verbally and physically assaulted a Turkish sports journalist on a plane carrying the national team from Macedonia's Skopje to Italy's Trieste late on June 5. 

Just before the plane took off, Turan reportedly approached daily Milliyet's Bilal Meşe, who was sitting nearby, and started shouting at him.