Mehmet Topal: Fenerbahce player survives after being shot at whilst driving home from training in Istanbul

Club confirm incident in which bullets struck bullet-proof glass

Mehmet Topal (GETTY IMAGES)

Turkish football club Fenerbahce have confirmed that shots were fired at their player Mehmet Topal as he returned home from training.

The player escaped unhurt from the incident in Istanbul, which occurred earlier today.

The club say assailants fired shots at Topal as he was driving home from training at the Can Bartu grounds, with bullets hitting the windscreen, which was thankfully for the player was made of bullet-proof glass.

According to reports, several shots were fired before Topal pulled over to the side of the road and contacted police.

The assailants escaped and the motive for the attack is not known.

A club statement read: “This was a terrorist attack. We condemn these armed attacks on our players and club and hope justice will prevail.”

Topal is a Turkey international and has played for Fernerbahce since 2012. He previously played for Galatasaray before moving to Valencia in 2010 from where he joined his current club.

The incident comes just days after shots were fired at Hertha Berlin's team bus prior to a German cup match.

In April, shots were fired at Fenerbahce's team bus while travelling to the airport from an away game in the northern city of Trabzon. The driver was hit in the face and hospitalised.

Football authorities suspended league and cup matches for a week following the incident.