Wednesday 2 November 2016 17:06, UK
Rory McIlroy has come under fire for his late decision to pull out of this week's Turkish Airlines Open due to security concerns.
The tournament has been hit by a number of high-profile withdrawals, including Tiger Woods after he announced he was delaying his return to competitive golf until the Hero World Challenge next month.
McIlroy did not give an immediate reason for pulling out, although when asked about safety fears in the unsettled region he admitted: "It's obvious isn't it? The fact I've won the FedEx Cup this year and won the Race to Dubai before made the decision a little easier."
An explosion in a car parked outside the Antalya Trade and Industry Chamber injured around a dozen people on Tuesday. The Turkish Airlines Open will be held at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort in Antalya.
Earlier this month, European Tour officials investigated reports from Turkish media that two rockets were fired from a mountainous area close to the highway linking the city of Antalya to the resort town of Kemer.
Patrick Reed also withdrew following warnings from the US State Department, but the likes of Masters champion Danny Willett and European Tour stalwarts Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington committed to the event and played down any fears over security.
Turkish Golf Federation president Ahmet Agaoglu admitted he was "disappointed" not only with McIlroy's decision to withdraw, but also the fact he did not inform the tournament organisers directly while also claiming those who had pulled out were being disrespectful to the title sponsors.
"If they are afraid of such kind of things, there is no safe place in the world," said Agaoglu on the eve of the first event of the Race to Dubai Final Series. "This is one of the major tournaments in Europe and I think we have to have a little bit of respect for the sponsors. Turkish Airlines invest a lot in golf.
"It impacts our tourism also. Just saying that I don't fine a country safe and pulling out, I don't think it is a correct approach. You can be a super golfer and stand on top of the rankings, but being a super athlete, we need something else."
On McIlroy's absence, Agaoglu added: "I am little bit surprised and disappointed, because I learned about Rory pulling out from the media. On the other hand, Tiger sent me an email an hour before he announced that he was going to pull out.
"He apologised and said he was as disappointed as we were that he was withdrawing. But I am very hopeful, and looking forward to, Tiger coming back and playing here next year.
"Frankly speaking, Antalya is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. In its history, not a single person has died or been injured by any terrorist attack here. This is the safest city in the whole of Turkey, it's also the safest hotel and golf course in the world and it recently hosted the G20 summit.
"The European Tour demanded a lot of extra security measures for the players who are coming from all parts of the world, so we even had chartered flights from Shanghai and Gatwick this year. And there were many other players who came by themselves from all over the world. They also did not face any issues."
