Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, has strongly criticized Turkey for its treatment of Israeli football player, Sakiv Echeskel, while he was in the country. Katz referred to Turkey’s actions as “systematic persecution and harassment” and went on to accuse the country of transforming into a “military dictatorship.” According to Katz, by intimidating Echeskel through the filing of 136 charges and holding him in custody for over 100 days, Turkey is displaying a culture of violence and intimidation. The Israeli minister called upon the international community and sports organizations to take a stand against Turkey’s actions, emphasizing the need to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.