Istanbul soccer teams to play delayed derby on April 13

Istanbul soccer giants Fenerbahce and Galatasaray will clash in a crunch derby on April 13 after the original fixture was postponed over fears of a terror attack, the Turkish Football Federation says.

The match, which was due to have been played on March 20, was postponed for security reasons even as fans were starting to enter the ground.

The cancellation of the match came a day after a suicide bomber with links to the Islamic State blew himself up in Istanbul’s busiest shopping street, killing three Israelis and an Iranian.

The chairman of the Turkish Football Federation Yildirim Demiroren says the new date was agreed as a compromise after Fenerbahce pushed for April 6 and Galatasaray for April 28.

“Both clubs have expressed their respect for this decision and I thank them for looking on this positively,” he says, according to the Turkish media.

— AFP