Police urge Liverpool supporters to consider dress sense

[Abouna]

IN WHAT is certain to be the first of several appeals to supporters before the European Cup final in Istanbul next week, Liverpool fans were urged to be sensitive to Turkish customs by not wearing fezzes. Turks have regarded the fez, made famous in this country by the late Tommy Cooper, as insulting since the wearing of such hats was banned by Kamal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, in 1925.
Hundreds of Liverpool supporters were spotted wearing fezzes during recent games at Anfield in anticipation of the final against AC Milan, and Merseyside Police are now warning fans to leave any fezzes at home for fear that they could provoke a hostile reaction in Istanbul. A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: “We would advise all Liverpool fans travelling to Istanbul to take notice of any advice given to them by the local authorities in Turkey.” The appeal for common sense was seconded by the Liverpool club.
In the years after the fez ban, those who chose to defy Atatürk’s edict were often subjected to harsh treatment by the Turkish police and military. Since then, many Turks have been divided about the fez, with some regarding it as harmless headwear and others deeming it to be an affront to their former leader. The fez was originally introduced in 1826 by Mahmud II, the head of the Ottoman empire, as a replacement for the turban.