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Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler has left hospital after being treated for injuries suffered in an attack at the end of a Super Lig game on Monday.<\/p>\n
Meler, who received a small fracture under his eye when hit by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca after his club\u2019s match against Caykur Rizespor, was pictured leaving the Acibadem hospital in Ankara.<\/p>\n
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended domestic football in the country indefinitely in the wake of the incident and on Wednesday confirmed in a press conference that all leagues would resume on December 19.<\/p>\n
TFF president Mehmet Buyukeksi said Meler would not be quitting refereeing because of the attack.<\/p>\n
Turkey\u2019s justice minister Yilmaz Tunc said on his X account on Tuesday that Koca had been arrested \u201cfor injuring and threatening a public servant due to his public duty\u201d.<\/p>\n
Koca later announced his resignation as president via Ankaragucu\u2019s official website.<\/p>\n
Meler was visited in hospital on Tuesday by Buyukeksi and interior minister Ali Yerlikaya.<\/p>\n
At Wednesday\u2019s press conference, Buyukeksi said the TFF\u2019s disciplinary committee would \u201cdo what is necessary and announce its decision on Thursday\u201d.<\/p>\n
And he said: \u201cHalil Umut Meler is not just a referee for us, but a referee that we are proud of in the international arenas.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a good family man and a good person. And nothing we will talk about today tells us more than the photo of our referee being dragged on the ground with both hands (used) to shield his head while he is being brutally kicked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main mission of all of us is to\u2026protect (football) as an area where all stakeholders can feel safe. There is never any room for violence in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened in the match\u2026is in no way acceptable. We will show zero tolerance for any similar incident on or off the field, and we will not tolerate any action against our referees and the refereeing institution.\u201d<\/p>\n
In October Turkey was awarded joint hosting rights for Euro 2032 alongside Italy.<\/p>\n
Buyukeksi has said he has received assurances from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin that Monday\u2019s incident had not jeopardised that project.<\/p>\n
FIFA and UEFA have both condemned the attack on Meler, who was in charge of West Ham\u2019s Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar last season.<\/p>\n
Turkey\u2019s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Meler on the telephone.<\/p>\n
Koca announced on Tuesday afternoon he had quit in \u201corder to prevent any further harm to the Ankaragucu club, Ankaragucu fans, the community I am in and my family\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI hope that this incident, which I, more than anyone else, cannot accept, will be a reason for our sports life, especially our football community, to be purified from mistakes, shortcomings and the culture of violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, I hope that the structural problems of Turkish football will be discussed more realistically due to this grave incident that I caused.\u201d<\/p>\n