Erdogan: Turning sports into tool for political competition is meaningless

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed that turning sports into a tool for political competition “serves no purpose” after a highly anticipated match between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray was postponed citing problems in the organisation.

“Turning sports into a tool for daily political competition, for whatever reason, is wrong, misguided, and serves no purpose,” Erdogan said addressing the Necip Fazil Awards Ceremony in Istanbul on Saturday.

“We want Turkish sports, especially football, to be in the spotlight not through controversies but through successes," he added.

The Turkish president expressed that he expects “all clubs to genuinely embrace the spirit of fair play, representing peace, solidarity, and collaboration in sports."

Erdogan's remarks came a day after the Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, scheduled to be played in Riyadh, got postponed.

In a statement, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said that the match “was postponed due to some problems in the organisation with the joint decision of the clubs” and the Turkish football body.

Climate of culture and arts

During his speech at the Necip Fazil Awards Ceremony at the Ataturk Cultural Center, Erdogan noted that the awards ceremony aims to uphold the spiritual legacy of the Turkish poet and thinker Necip Fazil Kisakurek, commemorating the writer with mercy and grace on his 40th death anniversary.

Expressing his happiness to be witnessing that the late Kisakurek's intellectual legacy is treasured and embraced by the youth, President Erdogan drew attention to the fact that young writers make up the majority of this year’s awardees.

Erdogan further stressed: “We have spent the last 21 years fighting the voluntary legionnaires of the west who, even though living here, call out to us from Paris, London or Washington and even from Qandil or Pennsylvania. Just like other fights, we will inshallah emerge victorious from this fight as well."

"Türkiye’s climate of culture and arts will definitely reach the level it deserves. We will accomplish this together with you,” he added, addressing the crowd.