05.08.2026 19:11
The Erzurum Kazım Karabekir Stadium, which was closed after the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, described as the disaster of the century, and later gradually admitted spectators to the stands behind the goal, will start the Super League at full capacity. Erzurumspor FK, which will travel to Amed in the first week of the Super League, will play its first match at the stadium, which will be opened at full capacity, against Galatasaray.
The Governorship of Erzurum announced that after more than a year of technical inspections, reinforcement, and improvement works, all four stands of Kazım Karabekir Stadium will once again fully accept spectators.
STADIUM GOOD NEWS FOR ERZURUMSPOR FK The Governorship of Erzurum announced that the technical inspections, structural health monitoring, reinforcement, and improvement works at Kazım Karabekir Stadium, which had been restricted in use as a precaution following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, have been completed. It was reported that as a result of the evaluations, it was deemed technically appropriate for all four stands of the stadium to be used again at full spectator capacity.
In the statement made by the Governorship, it was reminded that the stadium was closed to use to ensure public safety after the earthquakes, and that during the 2024-2025 season, the North and South Goal Behind stands served with controlled and limited capacity.
It was stated in the statement that the technical works, initiated in June 2025 upon the request of the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Okuyucu, a faculty member of the Civil Engineering Department at Erzurum Technical University, were completed in over a year, and that each of the stadium's 18 separate blocks was examined individually.
It was noted that within the scope of the works, detailed field inspections, project checks, concrete and reinforcement evaluations, core samples and non-destructive tests, Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), experimental vibration measurements, numerical modeling, and advanced seismic performance analyses based on the current earthquake code were carried out.
It was stated in the statement that the dynamic behavior of the stands under real usage conditions during the matches played throughout the 2025-2026 season was continuously monitored, and that the dynamic loads that thousands of fans could create simultaneously and possible resonance effects were also evaluated in line with FIFA and UEFA stand engineering principles.
It was stated that as a result of the technical inspections, maintenance and repair works were carried out on the steel roof system, the load-bearing system was reinforced, and shear wall applications, injection processes, and various structural improvements were completed in the reinforced concrete stands.
It was stated that as a result of the evaluations, the North and South Goal Behind stands were allowed to be used at full capacity from January of the 2025-2026 season, and it was announced that the technical works continued in the East (Marathon) and West (Protocol) stands were also completed and it was deemed appropriate for these stands to also accept spectators at full capacity.
In the statement, it was also stated that, in line with the deficiencies identified during the inspections of the Turkish Football Federation, maintenance, repair, renewal, and arrangement works in approximately 500 items throughout the stadium were completed under the coordination of the Erzurum Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, and thus the facility meets the minimum criteria required to host Super League matches in its current state.
In the Governorship statement, while wishing that the decision taken after more than a year of technical evaluation, reinforcement, and improvement works would be beneficial for the Erzurumspor community, fans, and the people of Erzurum, thanks were extended to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, relevant institutions and organizations, Erzurum Technical University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Okuyucu and her team, and all personnel who contributed to the works. Additionally, a successful season in the Super League was wished for Erzurumspor and the blue-white community.
FIRST MATCH AGAINST GALATASARAY Erzurumspor FK, which will travel to Amed for an away match in the first week of the Super League, will play its first match at the stadium, which will be opened at full capacity, against Galatasaray.