MP calls for Turkey to act on killings

HUNDREDS of football fans gathered yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of the killing of two Leeds United supporters in Turkey and called for more to be done to bring those responsible to justice.

In an emotional day Leeds fans remembered Christopher Loftus, 35, and Kevin Speight, 40, who were stabbed to death in Istanbul on the eve of the club's Uefa Cup semi-final against Galatasaray on April 5 2000.

The pair were attacked by as English fans went drinking in the city before the game.

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Around 300 Leeds United fans gathered outside the Elland Road stadium in Leeds yesterday, while players wore black armbands during the Whites clash at Yeovil and travelling supporters turned their backs for the first minute of play at Huish Park.

At Elland Road yesterday they laid dozens of bunches of flowers, team shirts, scarves and other tributes around the statute of club legend Billy Bremner and also at the brass plaque a few metres away which commemorates the deaths of Mr Loftus and Mr Speight.

Mr Loftus's brother, Andy, stood alongside Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton, who told the crowd Turkey needed to do more to bring those responsible to justice.

Mr Hamilton said he had also written to Foreign Secretary David Miliband to ask him to put pressure on the Turkish authorities.

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A number of people were arrested following the deaths in 2000 and four men were even found guilty of involvement in the murders by the Turkish courts, but all still remain free as they pursue an apparently interminable appeal process.

Mr Hamilton said: "There's a very, very strong feeling, especially amongst the families, that justice has not been done and nor has it seen to be done in Istanbul.

"The people arrested and convicted of these dreadful murders have never actually served any time in jail – they've been released on bail pending appeal for the last few years. No trial date has been given for that appeal hearing.

"This is absolutely appalling and I've been putting pressure on the Foreign Secretary and on the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire to take some action to pressurise the Turks to actually do something."

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Asked what influence the UK can bring on Turkey, the Labour MP said: "Turkey has ambitions to join the European Union and I think this could be part of that pressure on the Turks to put their judicial system in order, to see that justice has to be seen to be done especially for the families here who are very angry that nothing's happened and that the people who are guilty of these crimes have never actually served any time in jail."

After Mr Hamilton addressed the crowd, those who gathered, observed a two-minute silence.

Fans who had travelled to Yeovil Town yesterday for a lunchtime kick-off echoed a moving tribute of 10 years ago when the visiting fans inside Istanbul's Ali Sami Yen Stadium turned their back on the game, in tribute to the two men and in disgust at the lack of contrition shown by the Galatasaray club or its supporters. Back then, not only was no minute's silence staged, but the home players failed to wear black armbands and many in the stands mimed cut-throat gestures.

Yesterday, both teams wore black armbands and Leeds fans turned their backs during the minute's silence.

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