23.07.2026 19:20
The Sports Safety Assessment Meeting ahead of the 2026-2027 season in football was held with the participation of Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak. Speaking at the meeting, TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said, "Violence, rowdiness, and an atmosphere of insecurity harm the spirit of sports. The language off the field has become decisive."
The Sports Safety Assessment Meeting before the 2026-2027 football season was held with the participation of Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak.
The meeting regarding the new season, held at the TFF Hasan Doğan National Team Camp and Training Facilities, was attended by Mustafa Çiftçi and Osman Aşkın Bak, along with Turkish Football Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, Clubs Union Foundation President Ertuğrul Doğan, and club and federation representatives.
STATEMENTS FROM MINISTER BAK Speaking here, Minister Bak stated that necessary consultations were made with the federation and related organizations.
Expressing that sports is an important phenomenon that mobilizes masses, Minister Bak said, "This is a platform where we evaluate security-related matters before the season. This year, our colleagues from the relevant ministry, federations, and related organizations have held their consultations. Sports is an important phenomenon that mobilizes masses, and it is very important for us. We follow the implementations within the framework of the authority given to us by Law No. 6222. Our federation president also expressed this. Turkey has the most modern stadiums. A revolution in sports is taking place under the leadership of our esteemed President."
Emphasizing that significant investments have been made in sports, Minister Bak continued:
"We need to work together to spread sports culture. Everyone has important duties. Everyone must contribute. We need to evaluate these carefully. We have experiences. There are new teams entering the leagues. We are all involved in this. Especially when we evaluate, we see that there are things that start on social media, continue with statements, and strain society before the competition even begins. We must solve these together. We need to increase the brand value of sports. How can we increase the value of football in an environment where incidents occur in the stands and people enter the field? In these meetings, clubs will convey their issues, and the state will carry out the necessary work on these matters. 160 thousand competitions are played, and each one is very important. We work closely with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice. Communication is important. We must use the unifying power of sports. We cannot allow common values to be damaged."
İBRAHİM HACIOSMANOĞLU: ''THE RIGHT TO CRITICISM SHOULD NOT TURN INTO DIVISIVE DISCOURSE'' TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu stated that during the meeting, all aspects of Turkish football's security practices will be addressed over two days, and last season will be evaluated in detail.
Noting that the decisions to be made will form a roadmap for the upcoming season, Hacıosmanoğlu added:
"Football in our country is not just a sport; it is a common joy for millions of people. The way to protect this value is through ensuring football lives in an environment of trust and peace. This is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders of the football family, especially security forces. Safe, peaceful stands free from profanity increase interest and participation in sports. Violence, unrest, and an environment of insecurity harm the spirit of sports. Violence in sports does not only occur within stadiums and sports areas. It has become decisive in the language used outside the field. The language used by everyone who comments on sports carries great responsibility. The right to criticism should not turn into divisive discourse."