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Turkish sports commentator Serkan Akkoyun has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hypocrisy for attending a Gaza peace summit while remaining silent on Israel’s deadly offensive, saying the football chief’s gestures “fail the test of sincerity.”
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Akkoyun said global sports authorities’ refusal to act against Israel’s actions in Gaza has wounded “not only the conscience of sports fans but of all humanity.”
He criticized organizations like FIFA and UEFA for framing the crisis as a “geopolitical issue,” arguing that such detachment contradicts the very spirit of sport and moral integrity.
“What Israel is doing amounts to genocide – and they are deliberately targeting children,” Akkoyun said. “They are not only taking lives but destroying the future of Palestinian sports.”
“Systematic erasure”
Akkoyun described Israel’s actions as part of a “systematic project to erase Palestinians from every sphere of life,” including sports.
“Gaza alone has lost at least three or four football academies – the buildings, the pitches, the kids who dreamed of playing are gone,” he said. “Yet football authorities refuse to take a stand. That’s hypocrisy at best, shamelessness at worst.”
The commentator added that despite growing calls from sports communities to ban Israel, organizations like FIFA and UEFA have bowed to political pressure from Washington.
He cited U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s warning that “America will use all its power to stop UEFA from banning Israel” as an example of that influence.
“At first, UEFA considered suspension,” Akkoyun said. “But after the U.S. intervened, the discussion died instantly.”
“Fails the sincerity test”
Akkoyun also condemned Infantino’s participation in the Oct. 13 peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, saying his remarks there “rang hollow.”
“The world now sees through Infantino’s words,” he said. “When it comes to Israel, his neutrality turns into complicity.”
He noted that football’s governing bodies have previously shown moral courage – banning South Africa during apartheid, Yugoslavia during the Balkan wars, and Russia days after its invasion of Ukraine.
“Why is Israel different?” Akkoyun asked. “When others faced sanctions within days, Israel gets protection. That double standard exposes the rot in global sports governance.”
Athletes and fans lead the way
Akkoyun praised fans and athletes who have turned their platforms into acts of solidarity.
“Mohamed Salah’s tweet shook the sports world. Lewis Hamilton keeps speaking up. Celtic fans, Bilbao supporters – they’ve all made Gaza part of their conscience,” he said.
He added that Turkish stadiums have become symbols of that same awareness, with banners and Palestinian flags displayed almost weekly.
Akkoyun highlighted Turkey’s official stance as well, noting that the Turkish Football Federation has written to UEFA urging Israel’s expulsion from competitions. He suggested that Turkish clubs could also stage symbolic protests during matches against Israeli teams.
“We can play – but we can protest smartly,” he said. “Let’s wear kits in Palestinian colors, refuse to shake hands, turn our silence into visible defiance.”
“Justice must follow peace”
While Akkoyun welcomed efforts for a Gaza ceasefire, he warned that peace without accountability would be meaningless.
“A truce alone won’t put out the fire inside me,” he said. “Israel must face consequences for what it’s done – in sports and beyond. Otherwise, history will keep repeating itself.”
He concluded by reminding that Gaza’s story “did not start on Oct. 7.”
“This goes back decades – to the ’70s, to the ’90s. The Gaza issue is not political; it’s human. And as long as Israel is shielded from justice, we’ll keep living this nightmare.”
