VIDEO: Armenian Flag Raised as Turkish Fans Throw Smoke Bombs During Europa League Match in Marseille

Turkish fans of Galatasaray sparked a riot during the Europa League match against French team Marseille. The game had to be interrupted when Turkish fans threw fireworks and smoke bombs towards Marseille supporters. Eventually, local law enforcement had to intervene to protect the Turkish fans.

Galatasaray's head coach Fatih Terim commented on the incident: "I asked our fans to maintain calm. However, when the opposing team displayed the Armenian flag, they became furious. Continuously, Greek and then Armenian flags were shown in the stadium... According to Turkish fans, they were provoked into this action. Regardless of everything, I asked them to stay calm. They listened to me, and I am grateful to them for that."

While the Turks attempt to justify their actions, it is important to note that Marseille is regarded as one of the cities in France with the highest Armenian population, housing around 700,000 Armenians. As for displaying the Armenian flag in the stadium, it should be emphasized that fans are allowed to bring the flags of any recognized state to the stadium.

Notably, photographs and videos circulated from the incident do not show any Armenian flag, whereas both Turkish and Azerbaijani flags were raised by Turkish fans during the match. As proof of this, please refer to the available photographs.