Vice President Yilmaz: Turkey Has 5,555 Youth and Sports Facilities

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz stated that Turkey now possesses a total of 5,555 youth and sports facilities nationwide. The inventory includes 1,088 sports halls, 743 swimming pools, 589 youth centers, and 97 athlete camps and training centers serving disciplines from athletics to winter sports.

Speaking at the 10th 'Giants of Sports Meeting' awards ceremony at the Presidential Complex Nation's Library, Yilmaz linked athletic success to human-centered development policies. He declared that the 'Century of Turkey' will also be the century of Turkish sports, emphasizing that real heroes are the athletes who serve as role models for youth.

“The Century of Turkey will also be the century of our sports, God willing.”

The ceremony honored numerous individual athletes, including Olympic archer Mete Gazoz, shooter Yusuf Dikec, and Paralympic swimmer Defne Kurt. National teams such as the Deaf National Football Team, Karate, Taekwondo, and Sitting Volleyball teams also received awards for their international achievements.

Yilmaz specifically highlighted the historic performance at the European Para Swimming Championships hosted in Kocaeli. He noted the national team won 16 medals, achieving Turkey's best-ever European ranking, with Defne Kurt securing five gold medals in five events.

The Vice President cited broader success metrics, stating that Turkish athletes won a total of 4,440 medals in 2026, of which 1,310 were gold. He attributed these results to widespread sports investments initiated under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership.