Turkish police on red alert to turn away football fans

The Irish pubs and sports bars of Istanbul, usually magnets for visiting football supporters, were strangely bereft of fans yesterday, the eve of a match between England and Turkey that will decide which of them qualifies automatically for the Euro 2004 championships.

At the James Joyce, popular with visiting Britons, the stools were empty and the tables unoccupied. The bar, in the heart of Istanbul, is just a few feet from where street fights broke out between Turkish and British supporters in 2000, resulting in the deaths of two Leeds United fans.

The incident caused hostility between the two sides that, three years on, has resulted in unprecedented security to keep England fans away. Kevin Miles, head of the Football Supporters Association in the UK, said: "It's a sad state of affairs when a game like this will take place without the presence of any fans from one team."

So far, at least three England fans have been deported trying to enter Turkey, under the strict security controls established for the game. More were being held at Istanbul airport, Mr Miles said. The Football Association said that up to 200 fans were expected to make the trip. Last night the Foreign Office said that about 27 fans were detained at the airport.

England fans are being kept away from Saturday's game under a set of security measures agreed by both sides after the match at Sunderland in April which England won 2-0. The game was marred by racist chanting by home fans and a pitch invasion which resulted in a record Uefa fine of almost £70,000. Many saw the fine as a last warning to the FA to crack down on hooligans.

As a result, the FA declined its allotment of tickets for the Turkey game, and urged fans to stay at home. The England squad could face expulsion from Euro 2004 if the fans cause trouble in Istanbul.

The names of passengers arriving from Britain are being checked against a list of known hooligans at the Turkish border, with anyone whose name appears being refused entry, part of an elaborate set of security measures.

The stadium where the match will be played - in Istanbul's Kadikoy district, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus - will be surrounded by a triple police cordon, and only those with Turkish ID cards will allowed to proceed. If any England fans manage to gain entry they will be locked in holding areas for the duration of the game.

For security officials, the real test will come after the match, on the streets, where no amount of policing can ensure complete control. "We will have at least 5,000 riot police on duty in the city," said one security official.

Turkish fans insisted that England supporters who have ignored government advice not to travel to Istanbul would be safe in the city.

Alaattin Yuksel, a waiter, said English fans were welcome to watch the match on television in his bar. "We will be showing it here," he said. "Everything will be fine."

Keren Yuksel, 19, said: "If English fans go to the game they will be safe, but they won't win. Turkey will win 2-0."