Sport in Turkey

Among allsportinTurkey,the most popular one isfootball.Turkey's top teams includeFenerbahçe,GalatasarayandBeşiktaş.In 2000, Galatasaray won theUEFA CupandUEFA Super Cup.Two years later, theTurkish national teamfinished third in the2002 FIFA World CupFinals in Japan and South Korea, while in 2008, the national team reached the semi-finals of theUEFA Euro 2008competition. TheAtatürk Olympic StadiuminIstanbulhosted the2005and2023 UEFA Champions League Final,while theŞükrü Saracoğlu Stadiumin Istanbul hosted the2009 UEFA Cup Final.Turkey will host theUEFA Euro 2032along withItaly.

Other popular mainstream sports includebasketballandvolleyball.Turkey hosted the Finals ofEuroBasket 2001and the2010 FIBA World Cupthe men's national team finishing second in both events. The national team also reached the quarter-finals of the2006 FIBA World Cup,and2014 FIBA World Cup.At the club level,Anadolu Efes(then known as Efes Pilsen) won theFIBA Korać Cupin 1996, finished second in theFIBA Saporta Cupin 1993, and made it to the Final Four of theEuroLeaguein 2000 and 2001 as the first Turkish club in history.In the following years,Beşiktaşhave come out as the winners of theFIBA EuroChallengein the2011–12season with only a single defeat, all stages of the tournament included.Later on,Galatasaraywon theEuroCuptitle in2016.In the following2016–17 Euroleague season,Fenerbahçewon Europe's highest-tier basketball league, theEuroLeague,as the first Turkish club ever,which was followed byAnadolu Efesin the2020–21 Euroleague season.Turkish basketball players such asMehmet Okur,Hedo TürkoğluandErsan İlyasovahave also been successful in theNBA.Active Turkish NBA players includeCedi Osman,Furkan Korkmaz,Enes Kanter,andErsan Ilyasova.

Women's volleyball teams, namelyFenerbahçe,EczacıbaşıandVakıfBank,have won numerousEuropean championshiptitles and medals.VakıfBankis currently one of the best volleyball teams in the world, 3-time winner of theClub World Championshipand 4 timeEuropean championshipwinner. The yellow-black team is also the most successful sports team of Turkey in International arena with the title of the most international trophy (9) holder of Turkey. Fenerbahçe also won theClub World Championshipas the first Turkish club ever in2010.Turkey Women's National Basketball team won the silver medal in the European Championship in 2011 while the Women's National Volleyball Team reached the 6th place in the World Championship in 2010 and won a bronze medal in European Championship in 2011.

Turkish athletes recently achieved success in European level;Elvan Abeylegessewinning gold medal in Women's 10000 metres and silver in Women's 5000 metres,Alemitu Bekelewinning gold medal in Women's 5000 metres andNevin Yanıtwinning gold medal in Women's 100 metres Hurdl in 2010 European Championship. In2011 European Athletics Indoor ChampionshipsKemal Koyuncuwon silver in Men's 1500 metres andHalil Akkaswon bronze in Men's 3000 metres.

The traditional Turkish national sport has been theoil wrestling( "Yağlı güreş" ) sinceOttoman times.Edirnehosts the annualKırkpınaroiled wrestling tournament since 1361.International wrestling styles governed byFILAsuch asFreestyle wrestlingandGreco-Roman wrestlingare also popular, with many European, World and Olympic championship titles won by Turkish wrestlers both individually and as a national team.Another major sport in which the Turks have been internationally successful isweightlifting.

Football

Interior view of theAtatürk Olympic Stadium.With its 76,761 (all-seater) capacity and Olympic size, it was granted the "5-star sports complex" title by theUEFAin 2004, enabling it to host the finals of UEFA events.

Main article:Football in Turkey

Turkey has risen to prominence in a number ofsporting areasin recent decades.Footballhas seen a rapid transformation earning it third place in the coveted2002 FIFA World Cup.Its domestic teams are dominated byBeşiktaş,Fenerbahçe,andGalatasaray.Of these,Fenerbahçe's European triumph came in the now defunctBalkans Cupin1968.Galatasaray has seen success after the 1990s, winning the 2000UEFA CupandUEFA Super Cup.In recent years, Turkey has exported many of its players into top foreign teams, includingInternazionale,FC Barcelona,Parma,Milan,andBayern Munich,among others. As well as sending players abroad, the Turkish league has also attracted players into Turkey. World class players such asRadomir Antić,Toni Schumacher,Gheorghe Hagi,Giga Popescu,Cláudio Taffarel,Mário Jardel,Óscar Córdoba,Frank de Boer,Pierre van Hooijdonk,John Carew,Alex,Franck Ribéry,Nicolas Anelka,Mateja Kežman,Roberto Carlos,Milan Baroš,Harry Kewell,Dani Güiza,Giovani dos Santos,Guti,Quaresma,Hugo Almeida,Dirk Kuyt,Didier Drogba,Wesley Sneijder,Robin van Persie,Mario Gómezand many more have played at some point or continue to play in Turkey.

Basketball

Turkeywon the silver medal at the2010 FIBA World Championship.

Basketballis also gaining popularity in Turkey.Turkeycame in second at theEuropean Basketball Championship2001in Istanbul. Turkey also came in ninth at the2002 FIBA World Cup.Several Turkish nationals,includingErsan İlyasova,Hedo Türkoğlu,Mehmet Okur,Semih Erden,Ömer Aşık,andEnes Kanter,have played in the prestigiousNational Basketball Association,generally considered the world's top basketball league. Turkey's greatest success in international basketball came when it hosted the2010 FIBA World Cup,finishing second behind theUSA.Hedo Türkoğlucaptained the national side and made the all-tournament team. Turkey also advanced to the quarter-finals in the2006 FIBA World Cup,achieving a non-expected sixth place. Turkey reached the quarter-finals again eight years later at the2014 FIBA World Cup.TheTurkey women's national basketball teamwon the silver medal at theEuroBasket Womenin2011.

At a club level, the most successful team has beenFenerbahçe S.K.andAnadolu Efes S.K.,the latter having won theFIBA Korać Cupin 1996 and theEuroleaguein2021and2022.Fenerbahçecurrently has the mostEuroleague Final Fourappearances (5) and was the first Turkish team to win the title in the2016–17 season.Galatasaraywon theEuroCuptitle, Europe's second-tier basketball league, in2016.Past achievements also includeBeşiktaş'FIBA EuroChallengetitle in the2012.In women's basketball,Galatasaraywon the 2008-09FIBA EuroCup,finished third in the same competition in 2007–08, and also was runner-up in the 2009FIBA Europe SuperCup Women.

Volleyball

VakıfBank S.K.are currently one of the best women's volleyball teams in the world, having won theFIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championshipa record four times and theEuropean Champions Leaguesix times to date.

Volleyball, especially women's volleyball, is a popular sport in Turkey. TheTurkey women's national volleyball teamsecured 6th place at theFIVB Volleyball Women's World Championshipin 2010 in Japan, and won a bronze medal at theWomen's European Volleyball Championshipin 2011 in Serbia. Turkey's top women's volleyball team isVakıfBank,which went undefeated to win three championships at theFIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championshipin 2013, 2017, and 2018. The same team won five championships (again going undefeated each time) in theCEV Women's Champions Leaguein 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2022. They took gold medals at both theChallenge Cupand theWomen's Top Volley Internationalin the 2007–08 season. Another prominent Turkish women's volleyball club isFenerbahçe,which won theFIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championshipwith an undefeated record in2010,took the silver medal in theCEV Women's Champions Leaguein the 2009–10 season, and finished in third place during the 2010–11 season.

Turkey featured a men's national team inbeach volleyballthat competed at the2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.

Handball

Yeliz Özelof Ankara is a Turkish handballer who is considered one of the best playmakers of her time.

Athletics

Fenerbahçe'sRamil Guliyevwon gold in the men's 200 metre race for Turkey in the2017 World Championships in Athletics.

Athleticsis another fast improving sport.Süreyya Ayhanset the1500mworld record in 2003 andElvan Abeylegesseset a new5000mrecord in 2004. In2010 European Athletics ChampionshipsAlemitu BekeleandElvan Abeylegessewon gold and silver medals respectively in Women's 5000 metres andElvan Abeylegessemedal in Women's 10000 metres.Nevin Yanıtwon first European Championship in a sprint race for Turkey by winning gold in Women's 100 metres hurdles. In2011 European Athletics Indoor ChampionshipsKemal Koyuncuwon silver in Men's 1500 metres andHalil Akkaswon bronze in Men's 3000 metres. In 2017,Ramil GuliyevofFenerbahçewon Turkey's first ever gold medal in the men's 200 metre race at the2017 World Championships,being the second white athlete in history to achieve this feat.

Beach handball

2010 Beach Handball World Championshipswere held between June 23–27 in Antalya. TheTurkish national teamwon twice the silver medal at the World Championships in 2004 and 2006, and the bronze medal in 2010. TheTurkish women's national teamalso won the silver medal at the 2004 World Championships.

Fencing

Turkey hosted the2009 World Fencing Championshipsheld from September 30 to October 8 inAntalya.

Fishing

Fishingcannot be done from any boat without a license, even if you're an amateur. You must apply to have one by submitting someI.D.cards and paying a fee 150 Turkish Lira for two years. Details concerning fishing zones, the minimum sizes of fish that can be caught, and the numbers of fish that can be caught per person can be obtained from the Department of Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Aegean and Mediterranean seas are rich fishing areas.

Flying

Paragliding inFethiye

Plane gliding, hang gliding, parachuting, paragliding and single engine flights are catered for as well as services that provide instruction courses. Best areas areFethiye,Eskişehir,Pamukkale,andIstanbul.

Motorsports

Motorsportshave become popular recently, especially following the inclusion of theRally of Turkeyto theFIAWorld Rally Championshipcalendar in 2003,and the inclusion of theTurkish Grand Prixto theFormula Oneracing calendar in 2005.Other important annual motorsports events which are held at theIstanbul Parkracing circuit include theMotoGP Grand Prix of Turkey,theFIAWorld Touring Car Championship,theGP2 Seriesand theLe Mans Series.From time to time, Istanbul andAntalyaalso host the Turkish leg of theF1 Powerboat Racingchampionship; while the Turkish leg of theRed Bull Air Race World Series,anair racingcompetition, takes place above theGolden Hornin Istanbul. Surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, paragliding and other extreme sports are becoming more popular every year.

Thetracklocated at Istanbul has aseating capacityof 155,000 people (biggest in Europe), is just over 5,340 m long and runs anti-clockwise. The track was designed byHermann Tilke,designer of theSepang,BahrainandShanghaitracks. GP2 seriesalso include a Turkish Team (Petrol Ofisi FMS International) and a Turkish Driver,Jason Tahincioglu.

Kenan Sofuoğlubecameworld champion in Supersportthree times in 2007, 2010, and 2012.

Rafting

Turkey's rivers provide perfect conditions for canoeing and rafting, for both beginners and experienced. Some of the best rivers for rafting areÇoruh,Barhal,Berta,Fırtına,Çolaklı,Köprüçay,Manavgat,Dragon,Göksu (Silifke),Zamanti,Göksu (Feke),Kızılırmak,andDalaman Çayı.

Rugby league

Rugby League is a relatively new sport in Turkey, so far five clubs make up the rugby league in Turkey, observer status within theRugby League European Federationis expected within a few months.

Rugby union

Main article:Rugby union in Turkey

Sailing and boat trips

Turkey has four bordering seas; theBlack Sea,Marmara Sea,Aegean Sea,andMediterranean Sea,so it not surprising that cruising is a popular sport. There are many cruising charters available. Gulets are traditional motor yachts and gulet holidays are becoming increasingly popular.

Taekwondo

Main article:Taekwondo in Turkey

Weightlifting

Weightliftinghas been another successful sport for Turkey, regularly relied upon to provide gold medals in theOlympics.Its most famousweightlifters,Naim SüleymanoğluandHalil Mutlu,are only two of four weightlifters in the world to have won three gold medals in three Olympics, and among womenNurcan Taylanbroke one world record.

Windsurfing

The bays aroundÇeşme,Alaçatı,Bodrum,andDatçapeninsulas as well as Antalya have ideal wind conditions for windsurfing. Famous windsurferÇağla Kubatis also from Turkey.

Wrestling

Main article:Wrestling in Turkey

See also

• List of sports governing bodies in Turkey
• Oil wrestling(Yağlı güreş)
• List of Turkish sportspeople

External links

• Sport in Turkey