“In today's world, where conflicts and wars dominate the global agenda, we need the unifying and embracing aspect of sports more than ever,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan expressed his delight in hosting the ministers responsible for sports of the Council of Europe member states in Türkiye, and wished that the conference would be beneficial for countries, athletes, and sports communities.

Erdoğan stated that the gathering of diverse societies around the common denominator of sports contributes to the strengthening of the climate of peace and the expansion of cooperation, and continued:

“In today's world, where conflicts and wars dominate the global agenda, we need the unifying and embracing aspect of sports more than ever. To this end, Türkiye strives to fulfill its responsibility to humanity through the international sports organizations it hosts.”

"Investments in sports are increasing by the day"

Emphasizing that investments in sports facilities and the spread of sports throughout the country are increasing by the day, Erdoğan continued:

"The success of our athletes in several fields in international sports contests reflects the significance we place on sports. Hopefully, we will continue to take initiatives that will instill a passion for sports in our people and convert Türkiye into a sports country in the coming years. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize our willingness to expand our collaboration in sports management under the auspices of the Council of Europe, of which we are founding members.

I believe the discussions and decisions that will take place during the conference will benefit us in this process. I would like to thank all attendees who provided excellent ideas and enriched the conference's content. With these thoughts in mind, I wish the 17th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sports to be auspicious. On behalf of myself and my country, I would like to thank everyone who helped organize the meeting, especially the officials from the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Youth and Sports." (ILKHA)