Wrestling in Turkey

Wrestling (Turkish: güreş) is considered as an "ancestral sport" in Turkey, represented foremost by the annual Kırkpınar tournament in oil wrestling.

Along with various highly esteemed styles of folk wrestling (known colloquially as çayır güreşi ("meadow wrestling") because bouts are held on grass fields), olympic wrestling (known colloquially as minder güreşi ("mat wrestling")) is widely practiced, while Greco-Roman wrestling is less popular due to freestyle wrestling's technical affinity with folk wrestling.

Turkey currently has only one professional wrestling promotion, Turkish Power Wrestling founded in 2010.

Folk wrestling

Styles practised nationwide (sanctioned by the Turkish Wrestling Federation):
- Oil wrestling
- Karakucak
Styles practised locally (sanctioned by the Turkey Traditional Sport Branches Federation):
- Aba güreşi (in Gaziantep and Hatay)
- Şalvar güreşi or kısa şalvar güreşi (in Kahramanmaraş)
- Kuşak güreşi or Tatar güreşi (among Crimean Tatar population)

Sport wrestling

FILA Wrestling World Championships were held in Turkey in 1957, 1974, 1994, 1999 and 2011. The Turkish team won the Men's freestyle championship in 1951, 1954, 1957, 1966 and 1994; and the Men's Greco-Roman championship in 2006 and 2009.

References

External links

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