Ban on Turkish Wrestler Lifted

The six-month ban imposed by the  International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA)  on Turkish wrestler Rıza Kayaalp has been lifted. The wrestler was initially banned for posting on the social media site Twitter racist tweets about Armenians and Greeks in the context of the Gezi Park protests.

The Turkish Wrestling Federation (TGF) appealed for the lifting of the ban, which is temporary. Kayaalp will now be able to participate in the World Championship in Budapest, Hungary in September.

Kayaalp had admitted to posting the racist tweets, but claimed that some of them were misunderstood. See older article:

According to Insidethegames.biz, one day before the ban was lifted, TGF chairman Hamza Yerlikaya vowed to take the “unlawful” ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sports if its appeal was unsuccessful.