Club members cheering for the Turkish team, gathered in March on the Internet portal (cafe.daum.net/turkeyworldcup), are expected to wage a rally on the City Hall Plaza on Saturday. At first they planned to wage the cheering rally indoor separately from fans of Red Devils in the plaza for fear of a conflict, Webmaster Koh Seok-jung said, but they decided to go outside on the streets in the thought that good sentiment for Turkey prevailed.

He added some 200 people, including those involved in different groups such as the South Korea-Turkey Friendship Association and Seoul Citizens of Turkey Supporters will be there. Wearing yellow tee shirts with the red Turkish national emblem on the chest, they are planning to distribute public relations material on why they are cheering for Turkey and an introduction about the nation, in front of City Hall and the World Cup stadium in Daegu. In addition, they have ordered a giant national flag of Turkey to exhibit in the stands during the Turkish national anthem before the match starts.

"Members on the portal increased from some 4,000 at the time of the opening of the soccer fiesta to some 9,000 to date," said Koh, adding that he would wage vigorous cheering rally for both teams to have a fine finish doing their utmost. Considering history, he proposed to the organizing members of Red Devils not to boo Turkey and to wave the national flags of both countries.

Meantime, Turkish embassy to Seoul was overwhelmed by some 50 phone inquires a day by South Koreans asking for the national flag of Turkey and jerseys. An embassy official said, "I feel estranged two nations becoming closer."

(Han Jae-hyeon, rookie@chosun.com )