Call from Erdoğan to the football community: The introduction of animosity and ideology harms the spirit of sports.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the football community, saying "Regardless of the reason, hostility, hooliganism, fighting, and ideology entering football first and foremost harm the spirit of sports."

President Erdogan attended the opening program of the Başakşehir Football Academy and Cup Square in Istanbul.

President Erdogan, who explained the investments they made in sports infrastructure during their governments, said, "While there were 595 football fields nationwide in 2002, we increased this to 1,365 with a 2.5-fold increase."

President Erdogan stated that the tense atmosphere in football harms the spirit of sports, saying, "Regardless of the reason, hostility, hooliganism, fighting, and ideology entering football first and foremost harm the spirit of sports. We wish all our teams success in the 2024-2025 season and hope to have a season with both high excitement level and high level of sportsmanship."

Erdogan continued his speech by saying, "We expect maximum sensitivity from all our clubs in keeping our football away from sterile debates and strengthening the spirit of fair play. We also want our athletes, who are followed and admired by millions, to behave responsibly and serve as an example to society and our young people. If the number of young players playing in the Super League teams is decreasing, it means that there is a blockage in the emergence of new football players."