Turkish midfielder Emre has appealed to FIFA for leniency for his country after FIFA president Sepp Blatter threatened to ban Turkey from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Blatter has threatened to expel Turkey from the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign following the violent scenes which accompanied their World Cup play-off defeat to Switzerland.

“I really hope that Turkey are not excluded from the 2010 World Cup as we would not deserve that,” Emre told Kicker magazine.

“We were not the only gulity party even though that is how it is being portrayed. It all started in the first leg in Switzerland when we were not properly welcomed as guests.”

As players left the pitch, pictures showed Swiss player Benjamin Huggel kicking Mehmet Ozdilek, one of the Turkish trainers, at the entrance of the tunnel, then brawling with Turkish defender Alpay Ozalan.

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