Iran women's football team arrive in Turkey on way home

Deutsche Tageszeitung - Iran women's football team arrive in Turkey on way home

Iran women's football team arrive in Turkey on way home / Photo: © DHA (Demiroren News Agency)/AFP

The Iranian women's national football team landed at Istanbul Airport on Tuesday after several members of the delegation withdrew their asylum bids in Australia and decided to return home.

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Footage from Turkish news agency DHA showed the players, wearing Iranian national team tracksuits, walking through the arrivals area at Istanbul Airport.

The players arrived in Turkey via Oman and Kuala Lumpur, having left Australia where they were competing in the Asian Cup.

"I am missing my family," one of them told AFP on Monday at Kuala Lumpur Airport.

According to DHA, the players left Istanbul Airport under police escort and headed to a hotel in the city.

They will return to Iran on Wednesday, the Turkish private news agency reported.

Seven members of the delegation had sought sanctuary in Australia last week after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem at their opening Women's Asian Cup game.

Only two remain in Australia after the others changed their minds.

Rights groups have accused Tehran of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives with the seizure of property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic republic.

Iranian authorities had in turn accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay.

burs-rba/ea/bc

(U.Stolizkaya--DTZ)

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