'DEEPLY SADDENED'
Ahmet Yılmaz Calik dead at 27: Turkey international and Konyaspor star killed in horror car crash on motorway
A TURKISH international footballer has died in a horror car crash aged 27.
Ahmet Yilmaz Calik was driving the vehicle on the motorway when he lost control and crashed at around 9am local time on Tuesday morning.
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It is understood the car overturned as it came off the carriageway and landed in a ditch.
Emergency services rushed to the accident but Calik was declared dead at the scene by paramedics in heartbreaking circumstances.
Calik was the only person in the car at the time of the crash and is due to be buried in Elmadag Cemetery after the funeral on Tuesday, reported FotoMac in Turkey.
According to Spor Arena, he was travelling to Ankara on his day off to finalise wedding plans for February.
The defender earned eight senior caps for Turkey between 2015 and 2017 after progressing through the youth teams.
He starred at the Under-20 World Cup in 2013 and was named in Turkey's Euro 2016 squad but did not make an appearance.
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Calik was playing his club football with Konyaspor until his tragic passing, joining the Super Lig outfit in 2020 from Galatasaray.
Konyaspor tweeted a message of support for their popular centre-back: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our football player Ahmet Calik, who has won the love of our fans and our city since the first day he came to our Konyaspor.
"Condolences to all of us, especially to the family of our football player Ahmet Calik.”
Ex-Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski played with Calik at Galatasaray.
He wrote: "I was so sad to hear the news, I'm in shock. Death does not suit you at all, brother! May God rest your soul in heaven."
Turkey's youth and sports minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu said: "I have learned with deep regret that our national football player Ahmet Calik, who plays for Konyaspor, passed away in a traffic accident on the Ankara - Nigde highway.
"May God have mercy on the late Ahmet Calik, who also served in our national team. My condolences to his family, Konyaspor and the entire football community.”
Galatasaray and the Turkish national team as well as Calik's first club Genclerbirligi also shared posts paying tribute.
Calik joined the academy at Genclerbirligi aged 11 in 2005 and turned professional with his boyhood club in 2011.
He went on to make 109 league appearances for them across six years before his three years at Galatasaray and signed a contract extension with Konyaspor in November.
The Anatolian Eagles currently sit second in the Super Lig, ten points off leaders Trabzonspor.
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Calik played the full 90 minutes of Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to Sivasspor in what would, sadly, prove to be his final appearance.
Konyaspor have reportedly requested this Saturday's match against Istanbul Basaksehir to be postponed.
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