Başakşehir fines Arda Turan $431,000 over nightclub fight

Turkish Super League side Istanbul Başakşehir on Tuesday said it will fine midfielder Arda Turan 2.5 million Turkish lira ($431,000) after his nightclub bout with Turkish pop-singer Berkay.

"We stress that the alleged acts committed by our football player during the 3-day leave given due to the national team matches and pictured in the media are in no way consistent with the ethical and professional understanding of Istanbul Başakşehir Football Club," the club said in a statement.

Başakşehir explained the hefty fine by pointing out the fact that the case went to a court.

Turan, who is at the Turkish club on loan from Barcelona, will continue to fulfill his professional obligations until a judicial decision is given, Başakşehir added.

Last week, Turan attacked Berkay at an Istanbul nightclub and broke his nose, according to a Habertürk report.

According to the report, Turkish pop singer Berkay was with his wife, Özlem Ada Şahin, at an establishment in upscale Emirgan neighborhood when the incident happened.

Şahin told Habertürk reporter Esin Övet that Turan said he would have liked to make a move on her if he were not married to his current wife, Aslıhan Doğan.

Before Berkay had an opportunity to respond, Turan attacked the pop singer, who was then taken directly to the hospital for surgery, Şahin said.

In a bizarre sequence of events, Turan then went to the hospital where the singer was being treated clutching a gun and begging to be shot and forgiven, Habertürk said.

Turan later took to Twitter to explain the situation, stating that it was just a misunderstanding, not a matter of honor, and that both parties sorted it out.

Prosecutors on Monday charged Turan with sexual harassment, unlicensed possession of weapons, causing intentional injury and intentionally endangering general security, asking for him to be sentenced to 12.5 years in jail.

The Medipol Başakşehir midfielder has a history of stirring up trouble, most recently garnering a $9,200 fine and 16-match ban after attacking an assistant referee during a Turkish Super League match.

In 2017, Turan was forced to take a break from his career after being sacked from the Turkish national football team squad by then-manager Fatih Terim upon verbally and physically assaulting a Turkish sports journalist on a plane that was carrying the national team from Macedonia's Skopje to Italy's Trieste.