- Title: Fans separate sports and politics at France v Turkey soccer match
- Date: 14th October 2019
- Summary: SAINT DENIS, PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TURKEY FANS DANCING IN FRONT OF STADIUM BEFORE MATCH TURKEY FANS WAVING FLAGS IN FRONT OF STADIUM FANS DANCING POLICEMEN LOOKING ON TURKEY FAN ON LAMPPOST VARIOUS OF FANS GATHERED (SOUNDBITE) (French) CONSTRUCTION WORKER FROM PARIS REGION AND TURKEY FAN, NACI, SAYING: "I hope it's going to turn out OK, in the spirit of friendship, that there won't be any problems. I don't want politics to be brought into football matches." (SOUNDBITE) (French) 23-YEAR-OLD FRIENDS AND FRANCE FANS, BAPTISTE GUIGNARD AND VICTOR EDEU, SAYING: GUIGNARD: "I think it's a sporting event, you need to know how to separate those things. We're experiencing the sport, the match, and as for the political questions this is the moment to bring everyone together through sport. EDEU: "We shouldn't be looking at the politics this evening. We're playing in a competition, it's actually cool we've brought the French and the Turks together in the same stadium, we're here for that and it's great." VARIOUS OF FANS ARRIVING AT MATCH BEING SEARCHED BY SECURITY GUARDS EXTERIOR OF STADIUM
- Embargoed: 28th October 2019 19:54
- Keywords: France Turkey soccer Euros soccer sport
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE / INTERNET
- City: PARIS, FRANCE / INTERNET
- Country: France
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B12MNUV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Fans arriving for a Euro 2020 qualifier between France and Turkey on Monday (October 14) shrugged off calls for the match to be cancelled as the French foreign minister snubbed the game.
Fans partied as normal as they arrived at the Stade de France but the political backdrop is tense in light of Turkey's military offensive in northeastern Syria.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced he would not be attending the game as planned and politicians including the French far left's Jean-Luc Melenchon called for the match to be abandoned.
Fans arriving at the stadium said politics should be kept out of football but some had Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's name printed on their soccer strips.
French officials said they had stepped up security ahead of the game.
France announced on Saturday it was suspending arms sales to Turkey in light of the military offensive.
(Production: Martin Esposito, Johnny Cotton, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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