SPORTS

The most popular sport in Turkey is football. Turkey's top teams include Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş.
*** In 2000, Galatasaray cemented its role as a major European club by winning the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Two years later the Turkish national team finished third in the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea, while in 2008 the national team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 2008 competition. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, while the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul hosted the 2009 UEFA Cup Final. ***

Other mainstream sports such as basketball and volleyball are also popular.
*** Turkey hosted the finals of EuroBasket 2001 and will also host the finals of the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The men's national basketball team finished second in EuroBasket 2001 and reached the quarter-finals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship; while Efes Pilsen S.K. won the Korac Cup in 1996, finished second in the Saporta Cup of 1993, and made it to the Final Four of Euroleague and Suproleague in 2000 and 2001. ***
Turkish basketball players such as Mehmet Okur and Hidayet Türkoğlu have also been successful in the NBA.
*** Women's volleyball teams, namely Eczacıbaşı and Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta, have won numerous European championship titles and medals. ***
Weightlifting has been a successful Turkish sport.
*** Turkish weightlifters, both male and female, have broken numerous world records and won several European, World and Olympic championship titles. ***
Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu have achieved legendary status as one of the few weightlifters to have won three gold medals in three Olympics.
*** Motorsports have become popular recently, especially following the inclusion of the Rally of Turkey to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2003, and the inclusion of the Turkish Grand Prix to the Formula One racing calendar in 2005. Other important annual motorsports events which are held at the Istanbul Park racing circuit include the MotoGP Grand Prix of Turkey, the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the GP2 Series and the Le Mans Series. From time to time Istanbul and Antalya also host the Turkish leg of the F1 Powerboat Racing championship; while the Turkish leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series, an air racing competition, takes place above the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, paragliding and other extreme sports are becoming more popular every year. ***

1- JAVELIN ( CİRİT )

Jereed (Cirit, Çavgan or Gokboru in Turkish) is a traditional sport of Turks played since the beginning of the Turkish History.
*** Horses were sacred and indispensable for Turks; they were born, grown up, fight, and die on the horse. They even drank Koumiss (kimiz) made of horses’ milk. There are two opponent teams in a Jereed game, each formed by 6 or 8 or 12 players, standing on opposite sides of the field marked within a square of from 70 up to 130 meters. There are three "end zones" at each end of the field, each about 6 meters deep, being a team’s waiting area, thus meaning a neutral zone and the opposing team’s throwing area. Each team has its own flag. The horses should be older than four years. A medium height horse is preferred because tall horses are not quick to maneuver, therefore most suitable ones are Arab and Turcoman horses. ***



2- WRESTLING / OIL WRESTLING

Wrestling is another national sport in Turkey. The country has many European and World champions. But the most interesting type of wrestling is Oil Wrestling in Kirkpinar, near Edirne. That sport is very traditional as it is practiced since the Ottoman Empire and have a history of more than 400 years.


3- FOOTBALL

Football (Soccer) is Turkey's national sport and is played everywhere. Some of the well known teams are: ( from left to right ) Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, our national team, Trabzonspor and Besiktas.




4- BALLOONING

Balloon rides can be taken daily over Cappadocia near Nevsehir.

5- WINDSURFING

The bays around Çesme, Alaçati, Bodrum and Datça peninsulas as well as Antalya have ideal wind conditions for windsurfing.

6- RAFTING

Turkey's rivers provide perfect conditions for canoeing and rafting, for both beginners and experienced. Some of the best rivers for rafting are: Çoruh, Barhal, Berta, Firtina, Çolak, Köprüçay, Manavgat, Dragon, Göksu (Silifke), Zamanti, Göksu (Feke), Kizilirmak and Dalaman çayi.



7- SCUBA DIVING

Mediterranean and Aegean coasts are the best places to dive. It is also possible to dive to shipwrecks from World War I (with special permission of local authorities) in Gallipoli, Canakkale.



8- FLYING

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




9- HUNTING

Hunting can only be done in parties organized by official Turkish travel agencies which have been authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.




10- SKIING

Winter sports resorts in Turkey are generally located in forested mountains. The following ski centers are easily accessible by road or by Turkish Airlines domestic flights: Bursa / Uludag; Antalya /Saklikent; Bolu / Kartalkaya; Erzurum /Palanöken; Kars / Sarikamis; Kayseri /Erciyes; Ankara / Elmadag; Ilgaz Dagi; Zigana / Gümüshane.