Midway through last year, on his return from the international game against Macedonia, Arda Turan, who was playing for Barcelona at the time, physically assaulted journalist Bilal Meşe on the plane and was subsequently forced to resign from the national team. The reason for his attack was the controversy that arose during the group stage games, with players demanding more bonuses for international games, and the journalist Bilal Meşe wrote an article about Arda. Shortly thereafter, I published an article about Arda on my blog. I couldn’t bear to see someone like him, who could be a role model for Turkish youth, commit such a fiasco while his career was on the decline. I sincerely wrote this piece for his well-being:
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/arda-turana-abi-nasihatlari
I then forwarded this article to him. Initially, he wasn’t very interested. He then responded, saying he wanted to meet me and invite me to Barcelona in August last year. We organized everything, but two days before we were due to go to Barcelona, he canceled the meeting (by the way, it’s a good thing we didn’t go; a bomb exploded in central Barcelona the weekend we were supposed to go, just in case). After this, he rushed to Istanbul and transferred to Başakşehir. Arda’s downward spiral accelerated with his transfer to Başakşehir.
And the explosive Berkay incident…
Last week was marked by a fight between Arda Turan and singer Berkay. For those who haven’t heard about it (especially for my international readers), I’ll summarize the story: It’s said that Arda Turan went to singer Berkay’s wife, Özlem Ada Şahin, and said something like, “If you weren’t married, I wouldn’t have missed you.” Özlem Şahin, who told her husband this, then ignited the fight. When Berkay went to Arda and said, “I’m leaving my wife now. I’ll talk to you one-on-one when I get back,” Arda headbutted him, breaking his nose. He went outside and scuffled with Berkay, but the others in the place broke up the fight and took Berkay to the hospital. Arda went back to Berkay, this time armed with an unlicensed gun, showed him the gun, and said, “If you believe what they’re saying, shoot me now,” before picking up the gun and firing it at the ground. So, no matter how you look at it, it’s a Turkish, messy story.
What was reflected on the hospital camera
Singer Berkay isn’t exactly a piece of cake either. I must point that out. Rumors circulated that he and Beşiktaş soccer player Caner’s wife had an affair while they were still married. In fact, Caner divorced her because of this. However, these incidents still don’t justify Arda’s actions. When you see someone struggling, it’s best to avoid them altogether.
For an athlete who has reached the highest level of success, such as playing soccer for Barcelona, this latest incident can no longer be considered a downfall, but a crash. Having written all this, I’d like to briefly share the advice I gave Arda in my article and what he did afterward regarding each of them:
1. Never raise your hand against someone older than you:
He did it again and raised his hand. Considering that Berkay was a 1981 player and Arda was a 1987 player, I can say he didn’t heed my advice. Beyond raising his hand, he broke Berkay’s nose. And of course, my main advice was to avoid violence against anyone except in self-defense. So, no matter how big or small, any form of violence against any living being is deeply wrong.
2. Before returning to Spain this summer, apologize to Bilal Meşe:
He didn’t do that. He continued his reckless behavior.
Bilal Meşe and Arda Turan
3. Stop fighting with the press:
He has pretty much ceased his bickering with the press. However, a large majority in the press has been unforgiving of his treatment of Bilal Meşe. Arda’s lack of apology and his indifferent attitude have only intensified this backlash.
4. Simplify around:
He doesn’t do that either. He’s always surrounded by people. He’s always taking people with him. It was even reported that when he visited Berkay in the hospital, he went with 6-7 people. So, as you can see, ‘Acun Style’ is in full swing.
5. Leave Türkiye, focus on Spain:
He couldn’t get a foothold in Spain. He couldn’t even get a transfer to any other club in Europe, let alone Spain. He returned to Türkiye. There, he chose Başakşehir over a club like Galatasaray. His transfer from Barcelona to Başakşehir could be considered a significant setback in his career. Afterward, his poor performances at Başakşehir left him with no real presence. His aggressive behavior left everyone wondering, “What happened to this kid?” He even received a 16-game ban for his actions toward the referees during one game.
6. Focus on your soccer (answer everyone with your soccer):
Unfortunately, after Barcelona, he was always in the news for his off-soccer behavior. This also affected him on the field, where his performance dropped significantly. He couldn’t fully express his talents on the field.
7. Be Modest:
He showed no signs of modesty, and his headstrong and flamboyant lifestyle continued.
8. Adhere to the rules:
Beyond simply not adhering to the rules, he caused legal problems. Following the Berkay incident, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against Arda Turan, seeking up to 12.5 years in prison. Of course, he also received a 16-game ban for his on-field violence.
9. Get your personal life in order:
Only here did he make any progress. He married his girlfriend, Aslıhan Doğan. However, his actions afterward revealed his complete unpreparedness for the institution of marriage. On the night of his argument with Berkay, he left his eight-month-pregnant wife at home and went to Gizli Kalsın, a popular weekday nightclub in Istanbul, for a night of men’s fun.
10. Take Galatasaray legend Tugay Kerimoğlu as an example:
He never followed her example. Although Tugay had recently divorced his wife of over 20 years, even his divorce was a fitting one. They resolved their problems quietly and within the family.
11. Demonstrate exemplary behavior for young soccer players (soccer is a stage):
Not only did he fail to display exemplary behavior, but on the contrary, he displayed all manner of behavior that could not be considered exemplary: swearing, attacking the referee, angry attitudes, starting a fight in a nightclub, leaving his pregnant wife to go to a nightclub in the middle of the night, using an unlicensed gun, causing a scene at the hospital, etc.
12. Stay out of politics:
He was very involved in politics for a while. We haven’t heard much about him since. He’s in a better position in that regard than in the recent past.
13. Show your respect for the national team in deeds, not words:
He couldn’t do that because he had no national team career left.
14. Take an active part in a NGO project:
He didn’t even bother with such a good deed. Or maybe we didn’t hear about it.
15. Manage your income and expense balance well (cut your expenses):
This was the only point I heard Arda react to after reading my article about himself. After reading it, he said, “I don’t spend 80,000 TL a month, I spend much more.” I’m not entirely sure if he meant it as a gimmick. In any case, his sole focus on this point and commentary demonstrates a superficial reading of my article. Still, I want to emphasize this: Even if you’re the world’s highest-earning soccer player, large expenses can lead to personal bankruptcy. It’s that simple.
16. Think about what happens after you quit soccer:
Arda is now 31. He has another 5-6 years left to play professional soccer. Afterward, he could pursue non-soccer ventures. Most soccer players fail in their post-soccer ventures. Because they’ve only played soccer their entire lives, their careers thereafter are always challenging. Former soccer players who remain involved in the soccer world, however, have limited options: they might want to continue their careers as a soccer commentator, writer, coach, or manager. If they want to establish themselves within the soccer world, they must correct their behavior. Otherwise, the press they’re fighting with won’t accept them. The soccer community will also stop welcoming them. Their credibility and credibility will vanish.
Ultimately, we can say that Arda has contracted the ‘Emre Belözoğlu Syndrome,’ a close friend of his. Emre, like Arda, had a career beloved and admired by the whole of Türkiye, even taking pride in his performances abroad. After returning to Türkiye, he became hated by the entire country, except for a few die-hard Fenerbahçe fans. Of course, no one here should tell me the story of “He is actually a very gentlemanly person off the field, but he displays these behaviors on the field out of ambition and desire to win.”
Emre Belözoğlu
If he truly wants to escape this spiral of problems and get his life in order, my final advice is:
- He should apologize publicly for his behavior.
- He should apologize to Bilal Meşe in the same way.
- He should focus on his wife and child at home, and on his soccer at Başakşehir. He shouldn’t be concerned with anything else.
- He should clearly show everyone that he has changed. For instance, he could shave his beard to symbolize this.
- He should avoid polemics.
- He should quit ‘Acun Style.’ He should simplify his life.
- After Başakşehir, he should aim to transfer to a European team again.
- This is Türkiye. You never know. If he performs well in Europe and the public realizes that he’s undergoing a positive transformation, the doors to the national team may open again before his retirement. After all, our nation has a short memory.
- He should seek psychological therapy. This isn’t shameful; everyone in developed countries does this regularly. Arda also needs to curb his violent tendencies.
- He should determine what he’ll do after his soccer career and start planning accordingly. But of course, he should maintain his focus and strive to deliver the best performance in his soccer career.
I have to say this; a true friend speaks harshly: Arda no longer has any credibility in Turkish society (unfortunately, he quickly exhausted the credibility everyone had generously given him within a year). If he wants to turn the situation to his advantage, he must implement my recommendations without compromise.
If he sincerely wants to stop and reverse this decline, he can call me to discuss the details. He knows how to reach me.
Tag: sports
