Footballer accused of injuring 4 players in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s state-run news agency says prosecutors have launched an investigation into a footballer who is accused of injuring four other players with a “sharp object” during a third-tier game in southeastern Turkey.

Anadolu Agency said four members of Sakaryaspor team accused midfielder Mansur Calar of home team Amed SFK of wounding them on Saturday during a match in the mostly Kurdish populated city of Diyarbakir.

A court imposed a travel ban on Calar pending the outcome of the investigation.

Amed SFK has denied the allegations, accusing the rival team players of aiming to cause “tensions and enmity.”

Amed SFK, whose fan base is largely Kurdish, frequently faces hostility in away games, especially in regions where Turkish nationalist sentiments run high.