Author: Daily Sabah With Agencies

Dozens of players from Türkiye’s lower leagues donned black and gathered outside the Turkish Football Federation’s (TFF) headquarters Tuesday, protesting a controversial rule that limits the number of players over age 24 in 3rd-tier squads. The protest, held at the TFF’s Hasan Doğan National Training Center in Riva, was spearheaded by the Turkish Professional Footballers Association (TPFD), with its president Saffet Akyüz leading a delegation into talks with federation officials – including TFF President and former Trabzonspor chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi, and executive board member Mecnun Otyakmaz. At the heart of the dispute is a newly implemented TFF regulation restricting 3rd…

Galatasaray will throw one of the biggest parties in Turkish football history on Sunday, celebrating its record-breaking 25th Süper Lig title – and the right to wear a coveted fifth star – with a mega fan celebration at Istanbul’s Yenikapı Event Area, the club announced Tuesday. Fresh off a dominant 3-0 title-clinching win over Kayserispor on May 18, Galatasaray are planning a full-day festival of football, music and pride, expected to draw up to two million fans. The fifth star – awarded for every five league championships – cements Galatasaray’s place as Türkiye’s most decorated club, pulling clear of archrivals…

Galatasaray are turning heads in Europe with their bold bid for Nigerian superstar Victor Osimhen, signaling a dramatic leap in ambition as the Turkish giants aim to step into the ring with continental heavyweights. At the club’s modern Kemerburgaz Metin Oktay Facilities, Vice President Abdullah Kavukcu made it clear: Galatasaray no longer wants to just dominate Türkiye – they want to rattle the gates of Europe. “We’re building a team that can challenge the best,” Kavukcu said during a Youth and Sports Day press event on May 19. “Galatasaray is now a global brand.” Osimhen or bust? The crown jewel…

Where tradition meets tomorrow, the 7th Ethnosport Culture Festival is set to turn Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport grounds into a living canvas of global heritage from May 22-25, uniting over 1,000 athletes from 20 countries in a bold display of ancestral sports, culture, and family values. World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) President Bilal Erdoğan, speaking live on A Haber, framed the festival as more than just a sporting event – it’s a cultural revival. “We began with a vision to spotlight Anatolian sports, and today, interest has stretched across continents,” Erdoğan said. Launched in 2015 in Kyrgyzstan, the Ethnosport initiative now boasts…

Kevin De Bruyne’s glittering decade with Manchester City appears headed for a quiet exit, with the Belgian midfielder saying he’ll “probably” skip the upcoming Club World Cup to avoid injury – just weeks before his contract ends. The 33-year-old playmaker, whose deal runs through June 30, told reporters after City’s FA Cup final loss that risking injury at the revamped 32-team tournament in the U.S. would jeopardize his post-City future. “I have to take care of myself,” De Bruyne said. “If I get injured at the Club World Cup, what am I going to do? No one’s going to take…

At Tobacco Pier in Samsun, northern Türkiye, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk first set foot on May 19, 1919, igniting the War of Independence, a Turkish flag symbolizing his legacy was proudly brought ashore in a heartfelt ceremony. As part of the May 19 celebrations in Samsun, the Ministry of Youth and Sports joined forces with the Ministry of National Defense to launch the “Journey of National Struggle from Istanbul to Samsun via the Blue Homeland with TCG Anadolu.” In this meaningful event, young people from all 81 provinces of Türkiye arrived in Samsun aboard the TCG Anadolu, the nation’s largest…

Türkiye marked Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day on Monday, an occasion that honors both the country’s youth and the beginning of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s legendary journey in 1919 that culminated in the War of Independence led by the republic’s founder. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message on the day and hailed how youth played a critical role in the future of the country that is now in the second century of the republic. In the message shared by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications on X, Erdoğan underscored the historical significance of May 19. “We are protecting the homeland and…

Israel’s expanding ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is obstructing efforts to reach peace, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, urging an immediate end to attacks and the delivery of humanitarian aid. “At a time when negotiations are ongoing, Israel’s widening of its attacks in Gaza weakens all efforts to establish peace and stability,” the ministry said in a written statement. It added that this escalation “once again demonstrates that Israel has no intention of achieving a lasting peace.” Ankara reiterated its call for “an immediate cease-fire, the cessation of operations in various parts of Gaza, and the unimpeded entry…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended heartfelt congratulations to Galatasaray after the Lions clinched the 2024-25 Süper Lig title in dominant fashion on Sunday, becoming the first Turkish team ever to earn the right to wear five stars on their jersey. “Congratulations to Galatasaray football team, their technical staff, and the entire Galatasaray Sports Club community on becoming the 2024-2025 Süper Lig champions,” Erdoğan posted on social media following the club’s title-sealing win. A young Galatasaray fan celebrates after the club’s 25th Süper Lig title win after beating Kayserispor, Istanbul, Türkiye, May 18, 2025. (DHA Photo) It was a night scripted for history at…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended heartfelt congratulations to Galatasaray after the Lions clinched the 2024-25 Süper Lig title in dominant fashion on Sunday, becoming the first Turkish team ever to earn the right to wear five stars on their jersey. “Congratulations to Galatasaray football team, their technical staff, and the entire Galatasaray Sports Club community on becoming the 2024-2025 Süper Lig champions,” Erdoğan posted on social media following the club’s title-sealing win. A young Galatasaray fan celebrates after the club’s 25th Süper Lig title win after beating Kayserispor, Istanbul, Türkiye, May 18, 2025. (DHA Photo) It was a night scripted for history at…