EuroLeague winning head coach, daughters critical of Germany over visa row

ISTANBUL

The daughters of Ergin Ataman, the head coach of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions Anadolu Efes, regret that they could not accompany their father during his top career moments because of Germany's visa policies against Turkey.

Anadolu Efes emerged as the champions of European basketball following Final Four games played from May 28-30 in Cologne, Germany, earning the top trophy on the continent. However, Ataman's daughters could not follow the Final Four because Germany did not grant them visas.

Gizem and Ceren Ataman, who are continuing their education in the US, delivered remarks on the incident and how they were disappointed.

Ceren said that as soon as they arrived in Istanbul from the US, they started visa procedures, noting that in case they might not be able to catch the team plane, his father also bought one more ticket for them on May 29.

"We thought that we would get the visa and that such a thing would not happen when the families of the other teams were leaving. We were very upset on Thursday when my father texted us, saying, 'They are not accepting your visa applications,'" she told Anadolu Agency.

Noting that they would love to be there, she said, "We should have received visas because we got second doses of [a coronavirus] vaccine."

She thinks it was done on purpose, saying, "it's shameful."

"I have never encountered anything like this behavior in the US or any other country. It may be related to Islam. I thought this was racism," she stressed.

Gizem said she and her sister do not threaten anyone because they got a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"I don't think it has anything to do with the global pandemic. There may be political reasons. It could be something about Germans don't like the Turks because it only happened to us," she said.

'Discrimination against Turks'

Speaking to Anadolu Agency in an interview, Ergin Ataman said he became furious after learning about the "unfair visa process," adding that not giving visas to his daughters, who both received two doses of a vaccine, is discrimination against Turks.

"We received an invitation from Spain's Real Madrid for my wife Berna and my son Sarp when we were going away. The Spanish Consulate also gave them a Schengen Visa," said Ataman.

"Despite the official invitation of the EuroLeague, the Consulate General of Germany in Istanbul did not give my daughters visas. It took a long time and stretched. We gave them all the documents that they wanted," he noted.

Pointing out that his daughters are adult university students in the US, Ataman said: "They have received visas from everywhere in Europe so far, and psychologically, this saddened them a lot."

"We have been informed that we should withdraw our applications from the consulate, and they added that the consulate does not give anybody visa, 'including your daughters,' Ataman said.

Ataman said his two daughters had never left him alone during European championships.