From Persecution to Promotion: Kurdish Club Amedspor Shakes Up Turkish Football Landscape

Ten years ago, as parts of Diyarbakir in southeast Turkiye faced devastation from battles between the military and Kurdish fighters, the city’s primary football club, Amedspor, became a target. Diyarbakir, the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkiye, saw its club, then in the third tier, emerge as a symbol of Kurdish identity. Amidst the conflict between the state and groups linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Amedspor endured fines, bans on away supporters, and faced attacks on its premises and personnel. Its future appeared precarious.

A decade later, with a peace process underway between the government and the PKK, Amedspor is experiencing an unprecedented surge. In their first season back in the top-flight after consecutive promotions, they currently sit second in the Super Lig after 10 matches. A victory against league leaders Galatasaray on Saturday could propel them to the top of the table.

“Amedspor have achieved a level of success that nobody expected,” commented Vahap Coskun, an academic from Diyarbakir and author of a book on the club. Coskun attributes this season's success to several factors: an experienced coach, Besnik Hasi, a largely new squad performing beyond expectations, and the prolific Nigerian striker Gift Orban, who has netted nine goals in 10 games. The team also benefits from passionate, sold-out home crowds exceeding 30,000, contributing to their perfect record in six home games.

Furthermore, Coskun highlighted the “softening political climate” as a crucial element, influencing everything from Amedspor's treatment in away matches to refereeing decisions, thereby enabling fairer competition.

Reha Ruhavioglu, director of the Kurdish Studies Center (KSC) and a former advisory board member, stated that Amedspor's matches have become a “weekly barometer” for Turkish society and the state’s acceptance of the club’s distinct Kurdish identity, including its colours, culture, and language.

Founded in 1972 as Melikahmet Turanspor and later taken over by Diyarbakir’s municipality in 1990, Amedspor spent most of its history in lower leagues. They first reached the third tier in 2013. The following year, the club controversially renamed itself “Amed,” the Kurdish word for Diyarbakir, and adopted the red, green, and yellow colours of the Kurdish tricolour. Expressions of Kurdish culture and language have historically faced suppression in Turkiye, particularly following the PKK’s armed uprising in 1984. Despite this, the club was permitted to use the name Amed and its colours, albeit not the full tricolour.

The club’s trajectory continued upwards. In January 2015, they secured a 2-0 away win against Galatasaray in the Turkish Cup. During the 2015-16 season, amidst conflict in southeastern Turkiye, they reached the Turkish Cup quarterfinals, defeating Super Lig teams Basaksehir and Bursaspor. In subsequent years, Amedspor faced funding cuts and continued hostility from rival fans and politicians, yet gained popularity among Kurds nationwide. Research by the KSC in March 2026 indicated a fourfold increase in Amedspor’s support among Kurdish adults in Turkiye, reaching four million even before their promotion to the Super Lig, making it the most supported club among Kurds in the country.

The new peace process initiated in late 2024 culminated in the PKK’s formal dissolution and cessation of armed struggle in May 2025. This shift was acknowledged when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ally Devlet Bahceli congratulated Amedspor on their promotion to the Super Lig in May, with Erdogan later hosting club officials and players at the presidential palace.

Sports journalist Bagis Erten noted that the changed political climate has reduced the pressure on Amedspor from football authorities. “Especially when we talk about the football federation and referees, [Amedspor] were always treated very badly in previous years. Their penalties were not given, their red cards were not fair,” he told Al Jazeera. “But now this system at least is not stopping them.”

At Amedspor’s Diyarbakir Stadium, chants in Kurdish, such as “Ki ne em?” (Who are we?) answered by “Kurd in em!” (We are Kurds!), resonate. A recent match against Besiktas featured a tifo with the message “EM HATIN” (We are here). Amedspor’s presence in the Super Lig has increased the visibility of the Kurdish language and identity in Turkish society. While some rival fans have displayed provocative symbols, Ruhavioglu believes the overall trend is positive, with football potentially helping to “normalise” Kurdish identity in Turkiye, evidenced by visiting teams and fans attending matches in Diyarbakir without incident.

Ruhavioglu’s research also challenges stereotypes about Amedspor’s fanbase, noting its diversity beyond a single political ideology, with fans supporting various parties and holding different beliefs, including religious ones. While Kurdish identity and language are strongly linked to supporting Amedspor, he emphasizes the club represents Kurdish identity rather than acting as a national team for Kurds, as 61 percent of Kurds surveyed still support the Turkish national team.

Coskun argues that the club’s identity is carried by the institution itself, not solely by the players, and that success is paramount for the fans, even if they prefer more Kurdish players. Erten suggests Amedspor might balance its political identity with the pursuit of footballing success to avoid controversy. He concludes that the club’s current standing reflects a growing tolerance for Kurdish expression in Turkiye, though this progress remains “fragile” and dependent on government approach.