The 3rd National Sports and Women's Summit, organized by Marmara University Women's Studies in Economic and Social Fields Application and Research Center (ESKAR) under the theme of "No Barriers to My Sports", was held in the İbrahim Üüzmcü Sports Hall.
Making the opening speech of the summit that was moderated by İbrahim Konar, a news reporter in the main news bulletin of Kanal D, ESKAR Director Prof. Dr. Fatma Ayanoğlu said, “When we organized the first one, we discussed women in different categories. Then our project grew. Our summit was a first by bringing together people from the world of sports, art and academia.” Advisor to the Minister of Youth and Sports Prof. Dr. Nihat Gültekin said that they were fighting for women's participation in sports life and said, "We have worked to remove the barriers in front of women in 81 provinces."
Many names from the world of sports and media took part as speakers at the summit, where the difficulties experienced by women in sports life were discussed both industrially and individually. In her speech, Wheelchair Tennis National Athlete Ebru Sulak talked about the obstacles she faced after suffering from spinal cord paralysis and the beginning of her sports life. Stating that she will continue her sports career in the academic field, Sulak said, "There have been people who have touched my life, and I will touch the lives of children as much as I can."
Beşiktaş Sports Club Women's Basketball Team player İrem Naz Topuz shared the difficulties she experienced in her sports career, which she started at a young age, away from her family, and the stages she went through in her career. Topuz said that the moment she could not forget during his career was the first time she played for the national team and sang the National Anthem. Turkish and European Clubs Champion National Taekwondo player Şeyma Köseoğlu talked about her sports life, which she started with the encouragement of her family, and about her future goals. Köseoğlu said, “I am very happy because the number of women in taekwondo has increased.”
Anadolu Agency Sports News Editor-in-Chief Ersin Şiyhan emphasized gender discrimination in the field of sports by saying, "The biggest obstacle in Turkish Sports is in our hearts and minds." Saying that efforts should be increased to train athletes, Şiyhan said, "We must establish the culture of training athletes and coaches with the support of the state." said. TRT Sports Announcer Fatih Doğan mentioned the increase in the development of sports activities in Turkey and said that female athletes set an example for society in this sense. Doğan said that studies should be carried out with the right communication and strategies for the development of Turkish sports.
The summit ended with the presenting a plaque to the participants by ESKAR Director Prof. Dr. Fatma Ayanoğlu.
