Istanbul, Dec 26 (AFP) One of Turkey's best knownprofessional cyclists has joined a homegrown Turkish teamafter quitting his Israeli outfit due to the controversygenerated by the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as thecapital of Israel, reports said today.
Ahmet Orken, who will now cycle for Salcano SakaryaBuyuksehir in the Turkish Black Sea region of Sakarya, citedpressures on his family following the Jerusalem recognition asthe reason for his departure.
Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hasstrongly opposed Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem asthe Israeli capital, calling a summit of Islamic countriesthat declared East Jerusalem the Palestinian capital.
Ankara has full diplomatic ties with Israel, although therelationship is only now recovering from the deadly 2010storming by Israeli commanders of a Turkish vessel bound forGaza. Erdogan has in recent weeks bitterly criticised Israel.
"It was a difficult period in the last two weeks," Orkensaid, quoted by the Dogan news agency, as he signed thecontract in Sakarya on Monday.
"I took the decision so as not to worry about my countryand my family. This is a decision that I have taken myself,"said the multiple Turkish time trial champion.
Israel Cycling Academy, the Pro Continental team withwhom Orken had signed a two-year agreement in September, saidit had agreed to release Orken from his contract.
"While we are disappointed by his decision, we only wantwhat is best for him and his family. The doors of IsraelCycling Academy will be open for Ahmet and we certainly hopeto see him rejoin us," said the team's general manager RanMargaliot.
The team cited Orken as saying his family in theAnatolian Turkish city of Konya -- a religiously conservativearea -- had "found themselves in a dire situation".
The issue is far from the only controversy for theIsraeli cycling world after Trump's move with disputes alsoraging over the decision to start the 2018 Giro d'Italia fromJerusalem. (AFP)ATK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.