Piotr Małczyński
Wschodnioznawstwo (Eastern Studies), Volume 17, 2023, pp. 57 - 72
https://doi.org/10.4467/20827695WSC.23.004.18722Football is an important tool of reproduction of Turkish national identity. The possibility of using sports in the nation‑building process was recognized by the Kemalists. In their view, the role of sport was to modernise Turkish society along the lines of European countries. Nowadays Turkish football is an integral part of the European competition system. On the one hand, the Turkish national team has become a showcase for the country – an element of creating a positive image. On the other hand, it is an institution around which the creation and recreation of national identity takes place. The identity‑forming impact of Turkish football extends beyond Turkey’s borders. Turkish football is of interest to the diaspora, who use it to manifest ethnicity. Football is part of the fundamental dilemma of Turkish identity. In the context of the games, the „Europeanness” or „Easternness” of the Turks is considered.