The highly anticipated Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed due to "problems" in the organization of the event. The heart of the issue revolves around the clubs' desire to wear t-shirts featuring Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, during the warm-up.

According to Turkish media reports, Saudi officials rejected the clubs' request, though the reason behind this decision remains unclear. As a result, both Galatasaray and Fenerbahce refused to play the Super Cup final at the King Saud University venue, also known as Al-Awwal Park stadium.

The match was meant to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the secular Turkish Republic. However, no immediate comment has been made by Saudi officials regarding the situation.

A joint statement by the two clubs and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced the postponement of the 2023 Super Cup to a later date. The statement was issued on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. It also expressed gratitude towards the efforts made by Saudi Arabia's football federation and authorities in organizing the event.

Details regarding the rescheduling of the final remain undisclosed at this time.

Previous media reports indicated that Turkey's national anthem and flag might not be allowed at the final. However, the TFF had previously asserted that they would indeed feature.

The postponement of the final adds to the list of controversies that have marred Turkish soccer over the past month. The president of top-tier club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested on December 12 for assaulting a referee at the end of a match. The TFF responded by imposing a permanent ban on Koca and sanctioning Ankaragucu.

In another incident, the Turkish league was temporarily suspended due to violence, and upon its resumption, Istanbulspor walked off the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision during a Super Lig game against Trabzonspor, leading to the abandonment of the match.

The postponement of the Turkish Super Cup final raises questions about the future organization of the event and the potential impact on the relationship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, amid recent efforts to repair ties following the Jamal Khashoggi murder case in 2018.