CEV President meets with Turkish Olympic Committee leadership, Volleyball development headlines discussions

Earlier this week and shortly after completion of the highly successful women’s Final Four held in Istanbul, CEV President and FIVB 2nd Executive Vice-President Roko Sikirić joined FIVB President Fabio Azevedo and a number of other high-profile officials for a meeting with the leadership of the Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) and namely with their recently elected President Ahmet Gülüm. 

The meeting focused on further strengthening volleyball development in Türkiye and celebrating the nation’s continued success in the game. Mr Gülüm is a former captain of the Türkiye men’s national volleyball team and long-time advocate for the development of sport in the country. Also in attendance were TOC Treasurer Mustafa Tankut Turnaoğlu, TOC Board Member Özkan Mutlugil, who has previously served as a FIVB Board of Administration member, CEV Vice President and Treasurer, and Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF) President, as well as the TOC Secretary General Neşe Gündoğan.

“From a European perspective, our conversation with the TOC President revolved mostly around the European Games due to take place in Istanbul in just two years’ time,” the CEV President said. “We obviously would like for Volleyball to take centre stage during the European Games and to use such a terrific platform to further elevate the profile of our sport in Türkiye and across the whole of Europe. We have found an ideal partner in the TOC President as a former player and TVF President – and it is a privilege to see members of the Volleyball family occupying such key roles within the Olympic movement. It is testament to the high esteem in which our sport is regarded,” he continued. 

“It is a truly exciting time for Volleyball in Türkiye and after their unprecedented achievements in the women’s game, we have agreed that we shall join forces to further develop men’s Volleyball as well. To this extent, I welcome Türkiye’s debut in the men’s Volleyball Nations League and Halkbank’s qualification for the Champions League Final Four scheduled for next week in Poland confirms the upward trend that men’s Volleyball is experiencing in Türkiye,” Mr Sikirić added. Halkbank are indeed the first Turkish team to make it this far in the European elite competition since they hosted the Final Four in 2014, where they claimed a silver medal which remains the very best result for a Turkish team to this day.   

Türkiye has become a global powerhouse in Volleyball, particularly in the women’s game, with the national team achieving historic successes such as EuroVolley gold in 2023 and their clubs consistently performing at the highest levels in international competitions. The recent CEV Final Four held at Ülker Arena underscored the country’s ability to host world-class events and engage fans worldwide. The country is now set to host the CEV EuroVolley 2026 Women – after previous editions of the continental championship were held in Türkiye in 2003 and 2019.