The Europa League match between Beşiktaş and Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv scheduled for November 28 in İstanbul will be played “in a neutral country,” Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Turkish club on Monday.
“Negotiations are continuing between our club and UEFA regarding the country where the match will be played,” Beşiktaş said in a statement.
The meeting between the two clubs was considered to have a high risk for provocative actions, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stepping up his verbal attacks on Israeli leaders since the start of the war in Gaza. Anti-Israel demonstrations, encouraged by the Turkish government, have been taking place across the country for more than a year.
Last year, Israel advised its nationals and diplomats in Turkey to leave the country.