Turkish state broadcaster drops veteran World Cup commentator over Iran-New Zealand mix-up
June 17, 2026 10:39
ISTANBUL: Turkish state broadcaster TRT has removed a commentator from its World Cup roster after he mixed up Iran and New Zealand teams.
TRT said in a statement late on Tuesday that the commentator, identified by Turkish media as Murat Ekrem Çimen, had been withdrawn from the World Cup broadcast team in the US pending investigation. It added that he would not continue to comment on matches during the tournament.
According to reports in Turkish media, Cimen referred to Iran’s attacks as New Zealand’s and described New Zealand’s moves as Iran’s during the opening minutes of the broadcast. The teams shared a 2-2 draw on Monday night in Group G.
