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Turkey is on the verge of securing the hosting rights for a significant international football tournament this week as UEFA prepares to announce the location for Euro 2032.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long harbored the aspiration of hosting one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events in his homeland.
The UEFA executive committee is scheduled to convene on Tuesday, October 10, to unveil the hosts for the 2028 and 2032 European Championships.
In a strategic move, Turkey withdrew its bid to host the 2028 event, redirecting all its resources towards a joint proposal with Italy to stage the tournament four years later.
Securing the privilege of hosting Europe’s premier sporting event would undoubtedly mark one of the pinnacles of his tenure in office.
Daghan Irak, a lecturer in media communication at the University of Huddersfield in England, underscores the significance of sport in Turkey’s quest for legitimacy and parity with the Western world, stating, “In modern times, sport has consistently served as a means for Turkey to establish its own legitimacy and to compete on equal footing with the rest of the Western world.”
“Erdogan has remained steadfast in pursuing this historical strategy.”
Erdogan assumed the position of prime minister at the close of 2002, coinciding with Turkey’s collaborative bid with Greece during a period of improving bilateral relations. Unfortunately, their bid to host Euro 2008 fell short, with UEFA ultimately awarding the tournament to Austria and Switzerland.
Subsequently, Turkey embarked on individual bids to host Euro 2012, only to face disappointment with a joint Ukraine-Poland candidacy winning out. In 2016, Turkey’s hopes were dashed again when France secured the hosting rights.
Their aspirations were further thwarted in their bid for Euro 2024, as Germany emerged as the chosen host. UEFA’s evaluation of Turkey’s bid raised concerns about the country’s “lack of an action plan in the area of human rights.”
