Post by Salem6 on Oct 11, 2003 8:44:17 GMT
Thirty England football fans who defied official warnings not to travel to Turkey face being sent home ahead of the Euro 2004 qualifier.
The fans, who are being held at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, will probably be put on flights to the UK on Saturday morning, a Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed.
Security is tight in the city with thousands of Turkish police on duty to prevent any trouble between rival fans.
Thousands of Turkish police will be at the match on Saturday
England had refused tickets for the match against Turkey amid fears of violence, but some fans may try to buy them unofficially.
Turkey has said UK nationals believed to be heading to the match, which starts at 1800 BST, would not be allowed to enter the country.
Two fans have already been deported because they were on a police list of "known hooligans".
Travel warning
A Home Office spokeswomen said: "We have strongly advised people not to travel and not to put their safety at risk.
"That message has been heeded by the vast majority of people, and there are very few here.
"If people want to try to travel here against the strong warnings they have received... then they know what to expect from the Turkish authorities."
If people want to try to travel here against the strong warnings they have received... they know what to expect from the Turkish authorities
Home Office spokeswoman
Adrian Bevington, head of media relations for the FA, said: "Thankfully most supporters seem to have listened to the strong recommendations from the government, police and ourselves.
"We would like to re-enforce the message to any fans still considering travelling to Istanbul, clearly the Turkish authorities are fulfilling the commitment they made at the recent meeting with Uefa and ourselves in Geneva."
But Kevin Miles, chairman of the Football Supporters' Association, said it was a shame the fans were being refused entry to the country.
"It's a sad state of affairs when the desire only to go to a football match is sufficient to have you deported from a country," he said from Istanbul.
Police presence
Mr Miles said he had seen no violence on the streets of Istanbul.
"There's been no trouble. I've only seen about 10 fans out here. I think English fans are keeping a very low profile," he said.
There's been no trouble, I've only seen about 10 fans out here
Kevin Miles, Football Supporters' Association
Istanbul police spokesman Feyzullah Arslan said more than 5,000 officers would be on duty at the Sukru Saracaoglu stadium on Saturday.
Fans would be searched "one by one" before they could enter, Mr Arslan said.
"Anyone who starts any incidents will be removed at that instant from the stadium."
Only fans with Turkish identification will be allowed beyond two police cordons around the ground.
David Swift, head of the English police operation working with Turkish police ahead of the game, was confident most troublemakers would be prevented from getting near the match.
"Arrangements are in place to stop them coming here," said.
"We expect a maximum of 200 to come into the country, and if any England fans make it into the stadium, it will only be handfuls."
The strict measures were put in place following animosity between the two sets of fans when trouble flared at the England-Turkey game in Sunderland in April.
The fans, who are being held at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, will probably be put on flights to the UK on Saturday morning, a Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed.
Security is tight in the city with thousands of Turkish police on duty to prevent any trouble between rival fans.
Thousands of Turkish police will be at the match on Saturday
England had refused tickets for the match against Turkey amid fears of violence, but some fans may try to buy them unofficially.
Turkey has said UK nationals believed to be heading to the match, which starts at 1800 BST, would not be allowed to enter the country.
Two fans have already been deported because they were on a police list of "known hooligans".
Travel warning
A Home Office spokeswomen said: "We have strongly advised people not to travel and not to put their safety at risk.
"That message has been heeded by the vast majority of people, and there are very few here.
"If people want to try to travel here against the strong warnings they have received... then they know what to expect from the Turkish authorities."
If people want to try to travel here against the strong warnings they have received... they know what to expect from the Turkish authorities
Home Office spokeswoman
Adrian Bevington, head of media relations for the FA, said: "Thankfully most supporters seem to have listened to the strong recommendations from the government, police and ourselves.
"We would like to re-enforce the message to any fans still considering travelling to Istanbul, clearly the Turkish authorities are fulfilling the commitment they made at the recent meeting with Uefa and ourselves in Geneva."
But Kevin Miles, chairman of the Football Supporters' Association, said it was a shame the fans were being refused entry to the country.
"It's a sad state of affairs when the desire only to go to a football match is sufficient to have you deported from a country," he said from Istanbul.
Police presence
Mr Miles said he had seen no violence on the streets of Istanbul.
"There's been no trouble. I've only seen about 10 fans out here. I think English fans are keeping a very low profile," he said.
There's been no trouble, I've only seen about 10 fans out here
Kevin Miles, Football Supporters' Association
Istanbul police spokesman Feyzullah Arslan said more than 5,000 officers would be on duty at the Sukru Saracaoglu stadium on Saturday.
Fans would be searched "one by one" before they could enter, Mr Arslan said.
"Anyone who starts any incidents will be removed at that instant from the stadium."
Only fans with Turkish identification will be allowed beyond two police cordons around the ground.
David Swift, head of the English police operation working with Turkish police ahead of the game, was confident most troublemakers would be prevented from getting near the match.
"Arrangements are in place to stop them coming here," said.
"We expect a maximum of 200 to come into the country, and if any England fans make it into the stadium, it will only be handfuls."
The strict measures were put in place following animosity between the two sets of fans when trouble flared at the England-Turkey game in Sunderland in April.