ISTANBUL, Oct 14 — Turkey’s surprise direct qualification for the Euro 2016 football championships was today hailed as a “miracle” but celebrations were marred by jeering during a minute of silence for victims of the Ankara attack.

Turkey defeated Iceland 1-0 at home in the central city of Konya in the final round of the qualification campaign, thanks to a sensational free kick from Selcuk Inan in the penultimate minute.

After a dire start to their campaign, the win and a succession of favourable results elsewhere yesterday night gave Turkey direct qualification to the Euro finals in 2016 as the best third-placed side in the groups.

Few commentators in Turkey had dared to predict such an outcome.

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“They said it needed a miracle. That miracle was realised yesterday,” headlined the Hurriyet daily.

“The Euro 2016 qualifying, which began like a nightmare, ended in a fairy tale,” said the Fanatik sports daily.

The victory was hailed as a much-needed boost for the country which has been in mourning for the 97 victims of double suicide attack on a left-wing peace rally in Ankara on Saturday.

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But in a sign of the deep polarisation and conflict within Turkey even after the attack, several Turkish fans could be heard whistling and jeering during the pre-match minute of silence for the victims.

The fans also shouted “God is great!” footage posted on the Internet showed. Konya, the home region of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, is a known bastion of religious conservatism in Turkey.

The top trending Twitter hashtag in Turkey today was #UtanKonya — “Shame on you Konya.”

“Let Konya become part of Saudi Arabia,” commented one user.

The controversy marred efforts to promote the victory as a celebration of national unity after the attack, the deadliest in modern Turkey’s history.

Coach Fatih Terim said he hoped the win would bring happiness to Turkey.

“We are so pleased to have brought some happiness to our people,” he said after the game.

But he added: “We can’t enjoy it, it’s a bittersweet joy.

I would wish that not a single child had died and and we hadn’t qualified for the European Championship.”

Turkey's talismanic midfielder Arda Turan, who this year signed for Barcelona, said in a emotional comments after the game the country needed the boost.

“My condolences to the Turkish people, we share their pain. I am very happy for our country, if we were able to offer some respite to our people,” he said. — AFP