DUBAI: Turkish Kung Fu champion Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz, who raised the Palestinian flag during a European championship contest in solidarity with Gaza, has said he stands by his decision.

Responding to the European Kung Fu Federation’s threat to strip him of his title, the 22-year-old reportedly said on Wednesday: “If I had raised the Israeli flag there instead of the Palestinian flag, the (federation) would not have imposed this penalty on me.”

Akyuz won his division in the European Kung Fu Championships held on Dec. 17, 2023, in Istanbul.

Ben Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz

Madalyaların en güzelini aldım

Mazlumların sesi olmak adına yaptığım hareketten dolayı Avrupa Federasyonu soruşturma açtı

Yaptıklarımdan dolayı pişman değilim, verilecek kararlarım nezdimde hiçbir kıymeti yoktur.

NEHİRDEN DENİZE ÖZGÜR FİLİSTİN . pic.twitter.com/Jpo8yjEnP1

— Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz (@neakyuz) April 29, 2024

As he stood on the podium, he raised the Palestinian flag and performed the Dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance.

“Opening an investigation, withdrawing the championship title, issuing sanctions and withdrawing all the world and European championships that I own … if you think that you can scare me with these things and make me back down, then you are truly fools,” he said.

Akyuz added that he did not break any rules and said the federation has “no values, no humanity, no conscience, no manhood, no honor, no dignity.”