Presentation of the country's main government and sports institutions and bodies

• Ministry of Youth and Sport
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Directorate General of Security (affiliated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs)
• Ministry of Justice of Türkiye
• Turkish Football Federation

Independent sports safety bodies

Provincial and Sub-provincial Sport Security Boards are responsible for determining all the measures regarding the safety, security and service, confirming the Sports Venue Safety Certificate and also the Sports Venue Safety Plan which is made separately for each sports venue.

• Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports
• Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports

Main sports in the country

• Turkish Chess Federation -  1.1284.54
• Turkish Taekwondo Federation  - 675.523
• Turkish Basketball Federation  -  436.456
• Turkish Volleyball Federation  -  427.571
• Turkish Kickboxing Federation  -  355.954

National Olympic Committee

• Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC)
• Turkish National Paralympic Committee

Main sports federations and leagues

• Turkish Football Federation TFF Super League
• Turkish Basketball Federation: Basketball Super League
• Turkish Volleyball Federation: Sultans League (Women’s Volleyball); Efes League (Men’s Volleyball)
• Turkish Handball Federation: Turkish Men’s Handball Super League

National football authorities

• Turkish Football Federation:  Turkish Football Federation does not perform its work under the Ministry of Youth and Sports in contrast with the other sports federations. It has an autonomous structure. Even its Arbitration Boards is separate from the Ministry of Youth and Sports

Relevant good practices in the S4 domain

• Preparing and disseminating informative brochures with regards to the prohibited actions for the spectators and sanctions against these actions.
• Allocating seats for the people with disabilities, who received cards from the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, suitable to their disabilities in sports venues.
• Enumerating the seats in the sports venues and creating the necessary signboards and direction boards in order to direct the spectators towards the places reserved for them, ensuring that tickets are sold by indicating the seat numbers, ensuring that competition venue does not allow more spectators over capacity or who do not have ticket, carrying out the inspection and supervision on the entrance and exit of the spectators, who have tickets distributed by the sponsors, in the competition venue.

Last major sports events organised since 2000 and key elements of their legacy

• 2010 FIBA Men’s World Championship, 28 August-12 September 2010,  Ankara-İzmir-İstanbul-Kayseri, 24 countries and 500 participants
• Çoklu Spor Organizasyonu 25. Dünya Üniversiteler Kış Oyunları (UNIVERSIAD) 2011 Erzurum 52 pays 2500 participants
• Multi Event Sports Organisation, 17. Mediterranean Games 2013, Mersin, 24 countries and 5000 participants
• European Indoor Athletics Championships, March 2023, İstanbul
• 2023 UEFA Champions League Final, 9 June 2023, İstanbul

Future major sports events organised and/or co-organised within the next 5 years

• Turkish Deaf Sports Federation, European Deaf Football Championship, 23 June - 02 July 2023, Ankara
• Turkish Weightlifting Federation, 2024 European Seniors Weightlifting Championships, 2024 February, Antalya
• Turkish Deaf Sports Federation 20. Winter Deaflympics, 18-28 February 2024, Ankara - Kayseri
• Turkish Kickboxing Federation, 10. World Kickboxing Championship, 2025, İstanbul
• Turkish Rowing Federation, European Sea Rowing and Beach Sprint Championship, 2025 September, Antalya

The country's main sports competitions

• Main annual championship (Football /Basketball / Volleyball)
• Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye
• Eurasia İstanbul Marathon
• Presidential International Yacht Races
• Cross-continental Swimming Race

None

National legal framework on sports safety and security, including specific legal provisions on: 

List of Main Laws and Regulations

• Law No. 6222 of 31.3.2011 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports
• Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports

National / Local Coordination Bodies

• Sports Federations,
• Ministry of Youth and Sports
• Provincial Sports Security Board (sports security boards established in each province)
• Sub-provincial Sports Security Board (sports security boards established in the sub-provinces where a sports club exists)
• Central Sports Security Unit (relevant unit established within the Directorate General of Security)
• Sports Security Unit (relevant unit established by the provincial and sub-provincial Directorates of Security or Gendarmerie Command according to their area of responsibility)
• Supporter Associations
• Municipality
• Press organisations

Share of Safety and Security Responsibilities (Inside/Outside of Sports Venues)

Provincial and sub-provincial sports security boards were established with the Article 4 of the Law No. 6222 and measures to be taken for the safety and order of the competition venue and spectating areas were determined with the Article 5 of the same Law.

Safety measures to be taken in the sports venues were identified comprehensively with the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports. Additionally, responsibilities, mandates and duties of the provincial and sub-provincial sports security boards, competition security chief, sports security unit, relevant federations the sports disciplines are affiliated with, sports clubs, law enforcement and private security personnel, supporter associations and other relevant persons, organisations and competition chiefs were identified comprehensively with the Regulation as part of sharing safety and security.

Stewarding/ Private Security

Sports security units, in which law enforcement established by the provincial and sub-provincial Security Directorates or Gendarmerie Commands according to their area of responsibility perform task, and which are under the supervision and command of the competition security chief appointed by the local authority in order provide security in the sports venues, carry out duty in accordance with the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports.

Provisions were determined for the private security, number of which is sufficient to provide safety, and who will work with the law enforcement with the Article 6 of the Law No. 6222 titled “security in competition venue, training and spectating areas”. Powers and responsibilities of the private security personnel working under the command of the competition security chief are identified with the Article 13 of the Regulation which is drafted based on the Law.

Sports Venues Safety Regulations, Licensing, Certification and Inspection

Provincial and sub-provincial Sports Security Boards established by the Article 4 of the Law No. 6222 is charged with inspecting the sports venues whether they conform to the rules determined by the relevant federation and international rules they are liable to, and with correcting the deficiencies identified as a consequence of their inspections with the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports. Provincial and sub-provincial sports security boards are responsible with determining the measures regarding security and service, confirming the Sports Venue Safety Certificate, confirming the Sports Venue Emergency Plan made separately for each sports discipline and determining, before the start of the season, the number of spectators to be allowed safely in the sports venues throughout the season. Sports Safety Boards, after evaluating the inspection results in terms of spectator safety and health, have the power of deciding relevant sports venue’s eligibility of receiving spectators, of confirming the Sports Venue Safety Certificate if no deficiency is spotted, and if a deficiency is spotted, notifying these deficiencies to the Federation and disallowing the organisation of competition in the sports venue until the deficiency is corrected.

Sport-Related Hate Speech, Racism and Other Types of Discrimination

Measures regarding the hate speech, racism and other discrimination in sports are regulated by the Article 14 of the Law No. 6222 titled “Threatening and Insulting Chants”. Accordingly, expressions and behaviors insulting the different section of society in terms of religion, language, ethnicity, gender and religious sect are prohibited in the sports venues. Committing the prohibited act through any written, visual, audial and mass communication instrument is deed incriminating.

Pyrotechnics and Other Forbidden Items

Provisions regarding the pyrotechnics and other prohibited objects fall under Article 12 and Article 13 of the Law No. 6222 titled respectively “Prohibited Objects” and “Entrance in Sports venues with prohibited objects and disruption of the competition order”.

Customer Service and Role of Supporters and Local Communities

Consumer services and role of the supporter groups are regulated by Article 8 and Article 9 of the Law No. 6222 titled respectively “Liabilities of the supporter associations” and “Club official responsible for supporters”. Accordingly, club officials responsible for supporters are liable to provide assistance to law enforcement and private security personnel in order to provide competition security.

Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports identifies the tasks and responsibilities of the supporter associations and tasks and responsibilities of the club official responsible for supporters are identified with the Article 15 of the Regulation.

Tasks and responsibilities of the municipalities as the center of local authority with regards to security and safety in sports are determined by the provisions of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports.

Social-Educational Preventative Measures / Projects

Article 12 and Article 13 of the Law No. 6222 title respectively “Prohibited objects” and “Entrance in Sports venues with prohibited objects and disruption of the competition order” include social-educational prevention measures.

Alcohol/Drug Policy

It is prohibited to bring narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in competition venues, spectating, private spectating and training areas and vehicles through which teams and supporters travel collectively according to the Article 12 of the Law No. 6222 titled “Prohibited objects”. Additionally, bringing, consuming and selling alcohol in competition venues and spectating and training areas is decided by the relevant federation. Law enforcement is responsible for hindering the entrance of the persons who are clearly under the effect of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances according to the Regulation and municipalities are responsible for hindering the sale, consumption and distribution of the non-incriminating narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances and alcohol around the sports venue. Provincial directorate of sports, municipalities, directorates of security and sports clubs carry out tasks as stakeholders as part of their area of responsibility with regards to use of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.

Specific Sport-Related Misbehaviours Typified As Crimes

Match-fixing and incentive premium, prohibited materials, bringing prohibited materials in sports venue and disrupting the competition order, threatening and insulting chants, illegal spectator entrance in sports venues, entrance in forbidden zones, misbehavior in sports venues and damaging sports venues are determined as the incriminating actions and illegal behaviors exclusive to sports according to Law No. 6222.

Penalties such as imprisonment, punitive fines, ban from spectating and deprivation of rights are the result of the abovementioned prohibited behaviors. Additionally, imposing a penalty to a sports club or a member of a sports club does not remove relevant federation’s power of imposing sanctions.

Specific Sport-Related Misbehaviours Typified As Misdemeanours

According to the Article 22 of the Law No. 6222 titled “Statements which may lead to violence”, making press statement that may promote violence in sports is deemed misdemeanor even when the actions of the person making the press statement does not constitute a crime. In case misdemeanors exceed the limit of the freedom of disseminating information and criticism, real and legal entities are imposed punitive fines as a consequence of their behaviors as the operators of the press and media outlet.

Exclusion Policy (Banning Orders / Exit Bans)

Measures on the arrangements regarding the deprivations (banning orders / ban on leaving the country) are regulated with the Article 17/A and Article 17/B of the Law No. 6222 titled respectively “Aggravating circumstances of a crime” and “Ban from spectating”. Additionally, if required, the Central Sports Security Unit has the task of notifying the relevant authorities abroad, where the competition is held, before the organisation of the competition with regards to the information of the persons who are banned from spectating according to the Regulation. Besides, the Central Sports Security Unit created an electronic data bank in order to register the information of the persons banned from spectating and allow Directorate General of Sports Services, Turkish Football Federation and sports security unity access electronically in order for sports clubs and the relevant federations to access the information. Directorates of Security and Gendarmerie Commands submit the information on the persons banned from spectating to the Sports Security Units to be registered in the electronic data bank.

Measures Taken / Envisaged by States to Meet the Objectives of the Convention

• Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports
• Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports

Existence of specific safety, security and/or service public policies

• Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports
• Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sport

Existence of a national strategy on safety, security and service

• Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports
• Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sport

Existence of regional/ local strategies on safety, security and service

• Provincial and Sub-provincial Sports Security Boards exist and necessary measures are taken by taking current risks into consideration.

Major risks and trends on sport-related violence and disorder

• Disputes between the supporters on social media platforms.
• Populist speeches and behaviors on press, mass communication instruments and social media platforms, which exceed the limit of freedom of disseminating information and criticism, committed for rating and circulation purposes.
• Attitudes and behaviors of sports clubs managers leading to violence.
• Behaviors of the activist and hooligan supporters, who could not improve themselves psychologically, which turn into violence due to mass psychology, self-presentation, loss of identity, frustration and fanaticism.

Last major incidents which seem relevant and enlightening on the need to adopt an integrated approach to safety, security and service

• 1^st League derby match played between Altay and İzmir football clubs during the 2022-2023 season was postponed due to the incidents occurred between the supporters. As a consequence of the firework set off by Göztepe supporters a number of supporters were injured in Göztepe tribune and 21 persons were taken into custody.

Please provide a graph of the evolution of total incidents over the last 10 years.