Turkish Kung Fu fighter awarded ‘Order of Jerusalem’ for his support of Palestine

Palestine has awarded Turkish Kung Fu fighter Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz the Order of Jerusalem, with the rank of Knight of Jerusalem, in appreciation of his solidarity with the Palestinian people during the European Wushu Kungfu Championship that almost cost him his medal, Anadolu reported.

This came during a ceremony held on Saturday at the Palestinian Consulate in Istanbul, with the participation of the President of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Jibril Rajoub, the Palestinian Ambassador to Ankara, Fayed Mustafa, and the Palestinian Consul General in Istanbul, Hana Abdel Rahman.

Rajoub said that Akyuz embodies “the Turkish distinguished position towards the Palestinian cause, adding that his actions embody distinguished humanity and moral values.”

Rajoub awarded the medal on behalf of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and in the name of the Palestinian people.

Akyuz expressed his thanks to Palestine and the Palestinian people and stressed that this honour is “more valuable to him than the European Championship or other world championships.”

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In April, the Wushu Kungfu Federation of Europe (WKFE) announced that Akyuz would be investigated over a display of support for Palestine during the European Wushu Kungfu Championship which was held in December 2023 in Istanbul.

Akyuz, who holds six championships in the martial art, displayed a Palestinian flag after being presented with the European Championship gold medal during the award ceremony.

“Political displays were reported during the prize-giving ceremonies, reportedly initiated by individual members associated with the TWF (Turkish Wushu Kung Fu Federation). Immediate measures were taken on-site, including personal meetings and official protests, to strongly contest these occurrences. Such actions do not align with our values and standards within the WKFE community,” read a statement by the WKFE.

In response to the investigation, Akyuz said, “I am proud of myself for the inconvenience I caused, I do not regret it, and if I have the opportunity, I will do it again”.

“You can punish me, you can take away my championships. I don’t care, I did it by risking the end of my sports career,” he asserted.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Over 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,600 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

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