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Amed S.F.K.

Amed Sportif Faaliyetler Kulübü, commonly known as Amedspor, is a sports club based in Diyarbakır, Turkey. The club is widely supported by Kurds in Turkey and abroad for its embrace of Kurdish identity. Its football section plays in the TFF 1. League since the 2024–25 season.

Name
The club's name is derived from the Kurdish name for its home city of Diyarbakır – Amed – a historical and culturally significant designation used widely by the Kurdish community, and which the club adopted when it changed its name in 2014 to reflect this local identity. == History ==
History
The club was established in 1972 and competed in the amateur leagues for many years as Melikahmet Turanspor, because of a sponsorship with Turan Gazozlar. The club colours were red and white. In 1985 the club name changed into Melikahmetspor after the naming rights/sponsorship had ended. The Diyarbakır municipality bought the club in 1990 and changed its name to Diyarbakır Belediyespor (English: Diyarbakır Municipality Sports Club). In 1993 the club changed its name into Diyarbakır Büyükşehir Belediyespor (English: Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club), after the city became a metropolitan municipality. In the 1993–94 season, the club won the Super Amateur League and was promoted to the TFF 3. League, marking the club’s entry into Turkey’s professional football leagues. In 1999, Mayor Feridun Çelik of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) oversaw a name change for the club to Diyarbakır Büyükşehir Belediyesi DİSKİspor (English: Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Diskispor). The change was intended to generate revenue through sponsorship from the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality's Water and Sewerage Administration (DİSKİ). In October 2014, shortly after the club officially changed its name to Amedspor, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) imposed a fine on the club, citing that the name change had been made "without official approval." The objection of the TFF was because of the existence of another club named Amedspor, which later on changed its name into Amidaspor. However, in the club's final name change to Amed Sportif Faaliyetler Kulübü (English: Amed Sports Activities Club), the TFF announced that it would accept this new name. The club’s adoption of the Kurdish name for the city of Diyarbakır, Amed, led to increased support among Kurds, while also drawing racist attacks from Turkish nationalists and problems with Turkish authorities. The promotion was widely celebrated not only in Diyarbakır but also in major Turkish cities with significant Kurdish populations, including Istanbul, Ankara, Mersin, and Adana, as well as across Kurdish-majority regions in southeastern Turkey, including Van, Şırnak, Batman, Mardin, Muş, Bitlis, Urfa, Siirt, Tunceli, Yüksekova, and Ağrı. Several politicians congratulated the club on its promotion, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, and members of the DEM party. == Identity ==
Identity
As a club based in one of the largest cities in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkish Kurdistan), Amedspor openly embraces a Kurdish identity. In 2015, former club president İhsan Avcı stated that Amedspor viewed itself as "a team of Kurdistan," noting that approximately 80 percent of the squad at the time consisted of Kurdish players and that Kurdish footballers from all leagues had been invited to join the club. Football commentator and sports writer Ali Fikri Işık compared the relationship between Amedspor and its Kurdish fans to the bond between Catalans and FC Barcelona in Spain. Işık further states that Amedspor represents a nation, "thus, the success of Amedspor resonates as a triumph for all Kurds," while other commentators describe Amedspor as becoming "an unofficial Kurdish national team." Amedspor’s leadership emphasizes democratic and participatory principles, including women’s participation at all levels. In this context, human rights lawyer Metin stated that "Amedspor is a novel (in Turkish football)." The club also attempted to use green-red-yellow, but it was prohibited on several occasions due to political challenges. A popular chant among the club's supporters is "Amed! Amed!". In games, fans chanted in Kurdish "Her der Sur, her der berxwedan" (English: Everywhere is Sur, everywhere is resistance) in reference to Diyarbakır's historic walled quarter, which faced curfews and military operations following the 2014 Kobanî protests and the collapse of the 2013–2015 PKK–Turkey peace process. Similar chants in Kurdish, criticizing Turkish military actions, used by fans include "Children should not die, they should come to our matches" and "Berxwedan Amed, Berxwedan Diyarbakır" ("Resist Amed, Resist Diyarbakır"). During their 2024–25 TFF First League fixture against fellow Kurdish club Vanspor F.K., with which they maintain a friendly relationship, fans of both teams chanted the Kurdish slogan "Kîne em? Kurd in em!" ("Who are we? We are Kurds!"). The slogan was also chanted during matches of Amedspor's women team. Other chants include: "What gives you life is resisting"; "Stop and listen this song is for you", "Trust the love of the mountains (mountains is sometimes substituted with "fans")." The fan group Amedspor Barikat also have their own rendition of "Bella Ciao," the old Italian anti-fascist partisan song. == Supporters, rivalries and controversies ==
Supporters, rivalries and controversies
Supporters Domestic support The club is the most popular among Kurds in Turkey and the most widely supported football club in Diyarbakır. While competing in the TFF 2. League in 2023, the club averaged 20,000 spectators per match–more than 17 of the 20 teams in the one-tier higher TFF 1. League managed to attract. Following the club's promotion to the TFF 1. League, Amedspor president Aziz Elaldı stated that children in the Kurdish regions were increasingly supporting Amedspor rather than major Turkish clubs such as Galatasaray or Fenerbahçe. Fan groups The club has a supporter group known as Direniş ("Resistance"). The name Direniş was eventually approved for the group by the TFF, after approximately twenty previous applications had been rejected. Tîma Gel ("People's Team") is also a popular fan group of Amedspor.The most important supporter group is Amedspor Barikat ("Amedspor Barricade"). It was founded in late 2014 and describes itself as an anti-fascist, patriotic fan group of Amedspor that opposes racist and sexist views. They are known for their pro-Kurdish chants. During a match against İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, approximately 30 persons of the fan group were detained for chanting slogans such as "Everywhere is Sur, everywhere is resistance," and "Children shouldn't die, they should be able to go to the match." Fan groups of Amedspor have reportedly built connections with the fan scene of FC St. Pauli. During the 2025–26 promotion campaign to the Süper Lig, some supporters from outside Turkey, particularly Kurds from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, attended matches to support the club. Merchandise belonging to Amedspor supporters has also been regularly seized by police, In January 2016, Turkish police searched the Amedspor club premises and confiscated computers. After the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality was taken over by a government-appointed trustee in November 2016, replacing the imprisoned pro-Kurdish elected officials, the trustee requested that Amedspor change its name and include government-appointed municipal officials on its board in order to continue receiving municipal funding. The club rejected both demands in early 2017. Controversies in the 2015–2016 Turkish Cup quarterfinal In early 2016, Amedspor pulled off an upset win over Bursaspor to make it into quarterfinals of the Turkish Cup. Following this victory, Amedspor supporters were banned by the TFF from attending the subsequent match against Fenerbahçe S.K. for "ideological propaganda," after fans reportedly chanted slogans such as "Everywhere is resistance" and "Children should not die, they should come to our matches," in reference to Turkish military operations in Kurdish cities during 2015–2016, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties. Naki's Tweet, which led to the ban read: Naki's suspension was later extended into a lifetime ban in January 2018, in addition to terrorism-related charges by a Turkish court, Controversies against Bursaspor Amedspor's victory over Bursaspor in the 2016 Turkish Cup, played in front of Bursaspor's ultra-nationalist Turkish supporters, marked the beginning of a rivalry between the two clubs. Encounters between Amedspor and Bursaspor during the 2022–23 TFF Second League White Group season were marked by tension. In September 2022, the visiting Amedspor team arrived and departed the stadium in armored vehicles. The night before the match, a mob gathered outside the hotel in Bursa where Amedspor was staying. They reportedly played the Mehter March, an Ottoman military anthem, and shouted slogans such as "How happy is the one who says I am a Turk." The mob also set off fireworks aimed at the hotel. On matchday, clashes broke out between Amedspor and Bursaspor supporters in the stadium, the pitch was invaded, and a knife was reportedly thrown at Amedspor’s goalkeeper. Kurdish flags were displayed in the stands, and confrontations between home supporters and police occurred outside the stadium as tensions escalated. Before the return match on 5 March 2023, Amedspor players were reportedly attacked, as Bursaspor fans threw plastic water bottles, firecrackers, and knives on the field, while some Bursaspor fans displayed banners depicting Mahmut Yıldırım, a Turkish rogue agent of the Turkish counter-guerrilla JİTEM, linked to unresolved murders, alongside images of a Renault Toros, symbolizing forced disappearances and political killings of Kurds in Turkey during the 1990s. Furthermore Bursaspor fans entered Amedspor's locker room where they assaulted goalkeeper Cantuğ Temel, player Anıl Şahin, and club manager Ömer Elaldı. The TFF subsequently sanctioned Bursaspor with six matches plus one behind closed doors without fans, and club officials were banned from football activities for 90 days. Kurdish news channels described the attacks as an "organized lynching attack" on Amedspor.In its complaint regarding the incident, the Diyarbakır Bar Association stated that the acts constituted crimes of inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and hostility, intentionally endangering public safety, and insulting or abusing public office. Tensions continued in May 2023 when Ümit Özdağ, leader of the ultranationalist Victory Party, stated in a speech to supporters in Bursa that he would not allow a team named Amedspor to reach the top divisions of Turkish football. In response, Amedspor announced that its match against Iğdır F.K. on 28 December would be free for women, describing the decision as a way to counter the attacks by increasing women’s presence in the stands. Discrimination against Kurdish-language jerseys In October 2025, Amedspor was fined by the TFF for featuring a Kurdish-language slogan on its official jerseys. The club’s kit displayed the phrase “Koma me bona we” (English: “Our group is for you”), a slogan related to a local sponsor’s advertising campaign. Although the club stated that the sponsorship design had been formally approved by the federation before the season began, the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) fined Amedspor 110,000 TL, citing a breach of “equipment regulations.” A few weeks later, the PFDK issued another 110,000 TL fine for the same slogan appearing during a subsequent league match, bringing the total amount to 220,000 TL. In response, Amedspor’s management argued that the decision was discriminatory, emphasizing that the Kurdish slogan carried no political meaning and that its Turkish equivalent had previously appeared on other clubs’ jerseys without sanction. Club president Aziz Elaldı stated that the ruling represented a “double standard” and an “implicit ban on the Kurdish language in sports.” The incident provoked a strong public reaction. The pro-Kurdish DEM Party condemned the fines as “another example of institutional discrimination against Kurdish identity,” and called on the federation to reverse its decision. Several human rights organizations and local bar associations also criticized the sanctions, arguing that they restricted linguistic diversity and freedom of expression in Turkish sports. The TFF, however, maintained that the fines were not related to the language of the slogan but rather to “technical violations” of sponsorship and equipment regulations. Signing of Israeli player Dia Saba The transfer of Dia Saba in August 2025 to Amedspor for a reported fee of $3 million drew criticism in Turkey over the Israeli international's past social media activity during the Israel–Gaza conflict. Saba, an Israeli national of Arab origin with 13 appearances for Israel's national team, was publicly defended by Amedspor and the supporter group Tîma Gel, and was warmly received by supporters upon his arrival at Diyarbakır Airport. Other incidents In April 2016, after a win against Ankaragücü, Amedspor's team management was attacked and beaten by a mob. In August 2024, 13 people from Diyarbakır were reportedly attacked in Ürgüp, Nevşehir, after wearing Amedspor jerseys. According to Turkish media reports, the assailants initially threatened them and later returned with a larger group, attacking them with sticks, stones, and knives, injuring three people. The "racist attack" was condemned by Amedspor. On 2 May 2026, following Amedspor's 3–3 draw against Iğdır FK, which secured the club's promotion to the Süper Lig, Amedspor player Mbaye Diagne was surrounded by Turkish police when he displayed the flag of Senegal after the match. Reports indicated that police initially mistook the flag for a pro-Kurdish or PKK-related symbol. A brief confrontation occurred, during which officers were also reported to have attempted to obstruct filming of the incident. The situation was later resolved after it was clarified that the flag represented Senegal. Tensions continued shortly afterward. After returning to Diyarbakır, Diagne again displayed the Senegalese flag by hanging it from the balcony of his apartment, which led to a visit from police. ==League participations==
League participations
Süper Lig (1): 2026–present • TFF First League (2): 2024–2026 • TFF Second League (14): 2007–2010, 2013–2024 • TFF Third League (16): 1994–2007, 2010–2013 • Amateur League (22): 1972–1994 == Honours ==
Honours
TFF Second League : Winners (1): 2023–24 (Red Group) • TFF Third League : Winners (2): 2006–07 (Group 1), 2012–13 (Group 1) ==Current squad==
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