But one part of the match caused the Turkish fans to be very upset.
After scoring a goal, Gabi Kanikovski pointed to the Israeli flag on his uniform, looked up at the sky, and gave a salute.
Deputy Chairman of the opposition CHP Republican Peoples Party Ali Mahir Başarır called for the UEFA to ban Kanikovski from football, calling the salute a "crime against humanity" and "immoral."
Others noted that Turkey was penalized when all the players on their national team gave a coordinated salute after a goal in 2020, and Turkish player Merih Demiral received a two-game suspension for displaying a "grey wolf" sign after a goal in July. (The "grey wolf" sign is associated with a fascist group.)
The Turks are saying that if Turkey is penalized, certainly Israel should be for a hand gesture.
They are not remotely comparable. Kanikovski's salute was not political. And you can see it for yourself.
Why was he saluting the sky? The reason is that Kanikovski was not saluting the IDF but two of his friends that had fallen in the Gaza war, childhood friend Shauli Gringlick and Yaron Chitiz. He even named his own son after Shauli.
Don't expect any Turkish media to report that.
