As the month of May gets underway and the many seasons across European football start reaching their finish lines, millions of fans will have reason to grieve relegations and cheer for promotions. However, few promotions this season will be as impactful and controversial as the ascent of Amed S.F.K. to the Turkish Süper Lig.
The club was founded in 1972 in the city of Diyarbakir and has gone through several changes in name and identity since. That said, what has always remained consistent throughout the history of Amedspor is the red, white, and green colours that pride both their crest and their kits, as well as their identity as a “team of the others” — referring to the minorities discriminated against in Turkey (Kurds, Armenians, women, LGBTQ, and African communities).
Despite its openness to all minorities, it is the Kurdish identity that is buried deepest in the heart of Amedspor — Diyarbakir is located deep into the Kurdish South-East of Turkey and has been a historic focal point for Kurdish resistance. Supporters sing patriotic songs about unity in the Kurdish language and Kurdish flags can be spotted everywhere around the stadium. As you can expect, this pride has not always been appreciated by Erdogan’s Turkish government.
Flags have been banned from stadiums and fans have been prohibited from going to away games on many occasions. Merchandise has often been seized by police and there have been incidents of fans being arrested for not standing during the Turkish national anthem. In January of this year, the club was fined for “damaging the reputation of football” and “making ideological propaganda” after it posted a video of the braiding of a woman’s hair in solidarity with Syrian Kurds.
In a Champions League game between Bayern Munich and Galatasaray in 2023, a few fans in the German section unravelled a banner reading “Lift Amedspor’s Away Bans!”, drawing extensive international attention to the small club struggling against institutional obstacles. In addition to regular bans and fines, mob attacks and racist chants have been a part of everyday life for the players and fans from Diyarbakir.
The Kurdish club has now battled its way to the Süper Lig and will be facing the giants of Turkish football next season. Controversies and attacks on Amedspor are bound to continue, especially in the light of growing Turkish nationalist forces who see any Kurdish success as a threat to Turkish unity. Turkish football is no stranger to politics — some of you might remember the Turkish player Merih Demiral who was banned in EURO’s 2024 for celebrating a goal with a grey wolf salute (a symbol of Turkish nationalism).
The path will not be easy for Amed S.F.K. but, then again, it never has been. The players will be determined to play the best football they possibly can, and the fans will keep chanting, waving their flags, and fighting for their right to their own cultural identity. Turkey is an incredibly diverse and multicultural country no matter what the nationalist politicians will tell you — it is high time that the league reflected that diversity.
Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash