Fenerbahce officials and players sitting in the bus which was attacked by a gunman.
Fenerbahce officials wait in the damaged team bus which was shot at while it was being driven through to Trabzon Airport in the Black Sea coastal province of Trabzon, northeastern Turkey late April 4, 2015. The Fenerbahce team bus was shot at on Saturday after a Turkish league game against Rizespor, the BBC reported. The coach driver was taken to hospital after sustaining injuries in the incident, which happened as champions Fenerbahce, who won the match 5-1, were travelling to Trabzon to fly back to Istanbul. No players were hurt. REUTERS/Stringer

The Turkish Football League has been suspended for a week after the Fenerbahce team bus was attacked on Sunday, April 5. The bus was on its way to the airport after a match against Rizespor, which they won 5-1.

The driver of the bus was injured and was taken to hospital. No players were hurt in the incident. According to Abudlcelli Oz, the initial thought was that it was a stone thrown at the bus, but then confirmed as a bullet fired by a rifle. The incident is being seen less as an attack by a disgruntled supporter of a rival club, and more as a terrorist attack.

"We believe the incident was a terrorist attack, targeting not only Fenerbahce but Turkish sports,” Turkish Football Federation chairman Yildirim Demiroren told a news conference, as reported by ESPN. The decision to suspend the league for a week came after Fenerbahce club officials urged the TFF to do so. The Federation then discussed the matter with the Sports Minister and announced the suspension.

The club, in a statement on their website, claimed the attack was an assassination attempt and the “peak of hostitlity” due to match-fixing allegations linked with the club.

“It is Fenerbahçe’s opinion that the leagues must be postponed until this incident is cleared up and the consciousness of Fenerbahçe public is satisfied”, the club said. According to a BBC report, even the Turkish President, a Fenerbahce supporter himself, has become involved in the matter, calling up the local governor of Trabzon and inquiring about the investigation.

Fenerbahce were involved in a match fixing scandal incident in 2011 which ultimately led to their two-year ban from the UEFA Champions League in 2012. However, the 2010-11 domestic season title remained with Fenerbahce, instead of being awarded to runners-up Trabzonspor, which has led to high hostility between the two clubs. The bus was driving through Trabzon when the shooting took place, leading to suspicion of the old hostility as motive for the attack.

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