Turkish Football Federation Fined ($7,900; £5,300) For Sacking Gay Referee

An Istanbul court has ordered the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to pay compensation for sacking a referee on the grounds of his homosexuality.

The TFF was fined 23,000 lira ($7,900; £5,300) for dismissing Halil Ibrahim Dincdag, 38, in 2009.

The federation claimed Mr Dincdag was "unfit" for military service and thus unable to work as a referee.


Mr Dincdag said he would appeal against the amount, but called the ruling "a victory".

"Winning this case means a lot to me," he said. "I hope this ruling will be a model for similar cases."

His lawyer had asked for 110,000 Turkish lira when the case was filed in 2011.



The former referee told Reuters news agency at the time: "I have been unable to find a job since my name hit the headlines. I have received threats, and have lost hope of earning my own living."