A Turkish referee has won a major court ruling after being sacked because of his homosexuality.
The Turkish Football Federation has been fined $11,400 for dismissing Halil Ibrahim Dincdag, 38, in 2009, the BBC reported.The federation claimed Mr Dincdag was "unfit" for military service and thus unable to work as a referee. Mr Dincdag said he would appeal against the amount, but called the ruling "a victory".
"I hope this ruling will be a model for similar cases," he said. The former referee told Reuters he had received threats and been unable to find a job since hitting the headlines. Dincdag was released from the army in 2009 because of his homosexuality. Military service is mandatory for all men over the age of 20 in Turkey - only ill, disabled or homosexual men are exempt.
Referees must complete their military training to work. Dincdag had also lost his job on a local radio station decided to come out as gay on TV.
Homosexuality carries a social stigma in Turkey, particularly outside the major cities. Military hospitals define homosexuality as an illness, or a "psychosexual disease".
