The devastating ripples of the earthquake that took place in Turkey in the early hours of February 6 seem to have taken their toll in the world of football, as one more footballer is reportedly missing as a consequence of the natural disaster.
Moments of tension have surrounded TFF 1. Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor, who were informed about how goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan was inside one of the buildings that collapsed during the earthquake. While initial reports had confirmed the footballer as dead, club president Haci Ahmet Yaman clarified that the search for the goalkeeper was still ongoing.
"The news that Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan has died does not reflect the truth. Another earthquake took place when rescue forces were trying to get to him. With that in mind, all rescue parties retreated. We hope to get some good news soon," Ahmet Yaman said.
Coach Yilmaz Vural added more information on the player's whereabouts, stating that his presence in the building that collapsed was an unfortunate happening.
"I gave the team two days off following our match against Rizespor. Most of our players were not in Malatya. Only our goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan was there. His wife was rescued...I'm devastated," Vural said.
Later in the day, midfielder Mert Mirac Altintas shared an update on his missing teammate, adding that neither his wife nor any of their teammates had been in touch with Türkaslan following the earthquakes.
"There is no news of my teammate Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, who was under the rubble. They rescued his wife, including finding her phone, but couldn't find Ahmet," Altintas stated.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper has only played six games for Yeni Malatyaspor since he joined the club on a free transfer prior to the 2021-22 season. He has played for clubs such as Bugsasspor, Osmanlispor, Ümraniyespor, and Yeni Malatyaspor.
