A banner that appeared during the Trabzonspor’s match against AEK for the Europa League has sparked anger to the people of AEK.

The banner read “Can you swim?” was being carried around by the Turkish team’s fans often turned not towards the game, but to the side where AEK’s fans were.

This is an indirect reference both to the Asia Minor Catastrophe (almost exactly 97 years ago) and the Pontian Genocide.

After all, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself said from Kerasunda last February that the city had “thrown Pontian gangs” into the sea, while he had also spoken of some “fleeing into the sea”.

The AEK officials intend to make a formal complaint to UEFA, which bans political messages during football games.