Why Hakan Sukur Fled Turkey and Became Uber Driver in the US

Hakan Sukur was once the darling of his nation. With an innate scoring ability that saw him simply adored by fans of both the Turkish national team and Super Lig giants Galatasaray, Sukur achieved infamy as both entities’ debatably finest-ever players.

However, while he gifted so many brilliant moments over the years, the former striker and brief political figure now finds himself in exile in the United States after falling foul of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration. From helping Turkey to the semi-finals of a World Cup to facing the death penalty, this is his story. From goals and glory to the threat of arrest if he ever returns to his beloved homeland.

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The Bull of the Bosphorus

Sukur was a major success in his playing days

After his gradual emergence with Sakaryaspor and Bursaspor in the Turkish second division, Sukur’s skill and steady output caught the attention of Galatasaray in 1992. Two years prior, his early career had already earned him his first Turkish international appearances, and now his quality took him to Istanbul.

In his first year, the forward scored 19 goals in 30 matches, helping them win both the league and cup titles. He then added 16 and 19, respectively, in the next two seasons and attracted the attention of Torino. In 1995, he moved to Turin, becoming the second Turkish player to ever play in Serie A. However, after failing to settle, he returned to his country and Galatasaray in the following winter transfer window.

Back at Gala, it was like he’d never been away as he comfortably notched 16 goals before a 38-goal 1996-97 term saw him tie with Turkish icon Metin Oktay for second-most goals scored in a season. Because of his efforts, he finished third in the Ballon d’Or rankings that year. The following terms saw him continue his red-hot scoring streak, and 1999-00 was a history maker once again, yet this time in a team sense. Galatasaray completed a domestic double for the second year in succession, and added the year’s UEFA Cup, defeating Arsenal on penalties to become the first Turkish side to win a European title.

With more goals in the bank, a second move to Italy materialised with Inter and then Parma before a brief stint at Blackburn Rovers, yet none were particularly successful. Galatasaray and Turkey were always a safe place for Sukur, it seemed. He was a national icon at the point of his second return in 2003. The year prior, he had scored the fastest World Cup goal: an 11th-second strike against South Korea, and he was well on his way to the national team record for most goals – an eventual tally of 51 in 112 games. On retirement in 2008 and a gradual move into politics, Sukur likely couldn’t imagine just how things might change in his homeland.

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Enemy of the State

Sukur had to flee to America for his safety

Sukur became a politician in 2011 and was elected as a member of Parliament. He would last just two years before resigning from his party, with links to the Islamist fraternal Gulen movement arising. He ran as an independent MP, yet upon the completion of his term in 2015, he faced obstacles in every job he tried to pursue in Turkey, which led him to decide to live in the United States.

In 2016, these links would prove to be his downfall. Well, that and insulting President Erdogan on Twitter (now X). Hakan was charged with this in a trial which began in absentia. Sukur claimed it wasn’t his intention to insult Erdogan, but prosecutors disagreed. To make matters even worse, a coup broke out, organised by Gulen with the aid of a small fraction of the Turkish Armed Forces, attempting to overthrow Erdogan.

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The coup was unsuccessful, but the social effects were huge. More than 300 people lost their lives. Around 120,000 people lost their jobs and 50,000 were arrested. Anyone who had Gulen links was deemed a terrorist and labelled a member of FETO (Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation).

Immediately, a warrant was issued for Hakan’s arrest, and he was charged with being a member of an armed terrorist group. Yet, thanks to his move to the United States, he escaped persecution – which would’ve definitely involved prison time and even the death penalty in the worst-case scenario. Looking back on his exile, Sukur has spoken out about his alleged crimes. While he has never taken back his support for the Gulen movement, he still believes he did nothing wrong:

He spoke of the future with hope, telling the New York Times in 2018: “It’s my country. I love my people, even though their ideas about me are distorted by controlled media.” Now living a very different lifestyle, Sukur spoke of his current career in the US, saying: “I moved to the United States, initially running a cafe in California, but strange people kept coming into the bar. Now I drive for Uber and I sell books.”

Speaking more recently with The Athletic in 2024, still in California, he revealed he even posts videos on YouTube to talk about his situation:

Sukur added that he would ‘love to reunite with my family, friends, and memories, but only when the rule of law returns’. Now in his 50s, he remains in exile.