Galatasaray player's father among Ankara terror victims

ISTANBUL

The father of Galatasaray footballer Umut Bulut was among those killed in Sunday’s Ankara bombing, the club said in a statement Monday.

Kemal Bulut was caught in the 6.45 p.m. local time (1645GMT) car bomb blast as he returned from watching his son play against Ankara side Genclerbirligi.

“We have learned with a great sadness that our player Umut Bulut’s father, Kemal Bulut, died in the attack against innocent people,” the Istanbul-based Super Lig club said on its website.

The attack on Kizilay Square, a central public transport hub in the capital, killed 37 people and left 60 in hospital as of Monday lunchtime.

Bulut, 32, who also plays for the Turkish national team, reportedly received the news of his father’s death from his brother before a training session on Monday.

The game against Genclerbirligi at the 19 May Stadium kicked off at 4 p.m. local time, finishing around an hour before the explosion.

Dorukhan Yusuf Ozdemir, the 18-year-old captain of amateur Altinel Sports Club’s basketball youth team, was also killed, the Turkish Basketball Federation said in a statement.

The federation described him as “hardworking” and “extremely popular” with fellow athletes.