Regional Bar Associations Criticize Galatasaray Over "Yellow Bag" Post

Galatasaray’s official store account shared a "Yellow Bag" themed post after its match against Amedspor on 7 November 2026. Regional bar associations said the image targets the collective memory, losses, grief, and deep pain of Kurdish society. Fifteen bar associations announced a joint legal follow-up decision regarding those responsible.

The associations listed Ağrı, Batman, Bingöl, Bitlis, Dersim, Diyarbakır, Hakkari, Iğdır, Kars, Mardin, Muş, Siirt, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, and Van bar associations. They stated that no fan understanding has the right to disregard social sensitivities and that sport is an area of coexistence, not division.

“Sport is an area of coexistence, not division; of friendship, not enmity; of mutual respect, not hatred.”

Hakkari Bar Association issued its own written statement after Van Bar Association. It said the symbol evokes serious human rights violations, losses, and deep pain in Kurdish memory and that including it in sporting competition is unacceptable.

Hakkari Bar Association called on Galatasaray to remove the post, make a public statement, and take responsibility toward social sensitivities. It warned that normalizing symbols evoking violence, discrimination, and hate speech could harm social peace and sport’s unifying spirit.

The bar associations emphasized that sport should bring societies together around common values rather than confront different identities. Galatasaray’s post remained on the agenda as reactions continued.