Turkish referee who was punched leaves hospital
Turkey referee punched: Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca arrested after attack
The referee who was punched in a Turkish top-flight match on Monday has been released from hospital.
MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca ran on to the pitch and struck match official Halil Umut Meler after his team conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Caykur Rizespor.
Koca was arrested on Tuesday and all league football has been suspended.
Mehmet Yorubulut, chief of medicine at Acibadem Hospital, said Meler has a swollen eye but is in "good condition".
After Koca punched Meler to the ground, he received several blows from others as he lay on the turf, and suffered injuries including a minor fracture.
The incident sparked chaotic scenes involving players and club officials.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said Koca and two others had been arrested after prosecutors took statements and a judicial control decision had been imposed on three other suspects.
Koca later issued a statement via Ankaragucu saying he had resigned as club president and apologising for his actions, saying he felt "great embarrassment" for the "grave incident that I caused".
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Meler in hospital and said the incident had "saddened and disturbed" him.
The Turkish Football Federation said Ankaragucu, its chairman, club officials and all those guilty of attacking the referee will be "punished in the strongest terms possible".
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the incident was "totally unacceptable" and violence had "no place in our sport or society".
Meler, 37, is one of Turkey's top referees and officiates international games for Fifa.
He is also on Uefa's elite referee list and officiated West Ham's Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar last season and Lazio's Champions League group game with Celtic last month.
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Match official Meler [centre] was seen leaving hospital with a bruised eye in Ankara, Turkey on Wednesday
Source: bbc.com
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