As the 2025 European Wrestling Championships wrapped up in the Slovak capital, Türkiye’s national team walked away with 14 medals and three team trophies – but this time, their most decorated champion, Taha Akgül, was watching from the stands.
In his first continental tournament as president of the Turkish Wrestling Federation, Akgül saw his wrestlers carve out a new chapter without him on the mat.
The retired 11-time European champion now leads the next generation, which collected one gold, six silver and seven bronze medals from April 7 to 13.
Greco-Roman, where Akgül once reigned, produced the country’s lone gold medal.
Kerem Kamal, competing at 63 kilograms, defeated Armenia’s Karen Aslanyan 7–2 in the final to secure his second career European title, having won his first in Budapest in 2022.
Hamza Bakır, stepping into the heavyweight division in place of the suspended Rıza Kayaalp, took silver in his debut. Bronze medals came courtesy of Ahmet Yılmaz (77 kg.), Mehmet Mustafa Şahin (72 kg.) and Burhan Akbudak (82 kg.), helping Türkiye finish second in the Greco-Roman team standings behind Azerbaijan.
In women’s wrestling, Türkiye’s team reached a historic milestone. They reached the finals in five weight classes for the first time but fell short of gold in each. Evin Demirhan Yavuz (50 kg.), Elvira Süleyman Kamaloğlu (57 kg.), Bediha Gün (59 kg.), Nesrin Baş (72 kg.) and Yasemin Adar Yiğit (76 kg.) all claimed silver. Zeynep Yetgil (53 kg.) and Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (68 kg.) added bronzes. The squad’s seven medals marked their highest-ever tally at a European Championship, placing second behind Ukraine in the team standings.
The tournament also marked the end of an era. Yasemin Adar Yiğit, a trailblazer who delivered Türkiye’s first-ever women’s world and European titles and an Olympic bronze, retired at age 33 after her final bout. She left her shoes on the mat after losing to Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva, signaling her farewell to the competition.
The freestyle team, which topped the European podium last year, faltered in Bratislava. Without Akgül leading the charge, the squad managed only two bronze medals. Veterans Feyzullah Aktürk (92 kg.) and Osman Göçen (86 kg.) were the lone medalists. Aktürk’s bid for a fourth consecutive title ended short, while Göçen earned his third European bronze. The team finished third overall, trailing Azerbaijan and Georgia.
In total medal count, Türkiye stood tallest with 14 podium finishes, although Azerbaijan led the official rankings with four golds. Wrestlers competing under the UWW flag—excluded from the team standings—collected 24 medals, including 11 golds.
Compared to the 2024 tournament in Bucharest, where Türkiye bagged 17 medals, including seven golds, the Bratislava campaign lacked sparkle but hinted at a generation adjusting to life after legends.