As a component of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year, an exhibition showcasing the amicable football relations between the two nations debuted on Tuesday in Budapest, the capital city.
"This exhibition shows how close Türkiye and Hungary are, not only in football but also in terms of cultural and human values. We will strengthen our brotherhood and friendship on the green pitch," said Turkish Ambassador to Budapest Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, who attended the opening ceremony.
Ankara and Budapest have strong bonds and celebrate 2024 as their joint year of culture. Hungary and Türkiye share a history, as Hungary has several Ottoman-era monuments, including the Gül Baba Tomb.
The exhibition "The Turkish-Hungarian Brotherhood on the Green Pitch" was organized by the Turkish Embassy at Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) Turkish Cultural Center in Budapest, with contributions from the Hungarian Olympic and Sports Museum.
The exhibition depicts the shared history of Turkish and Hungarian football, both countries' experiences in the sport and their friendships and ties.
Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğluu, the wife of former professional football player Ekrem Ekşioğlu, also attended the event.
Ekşioğlu played in Türkiye's top-tier Super League for many seasons, primarily at Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü, a multi-sports club of the metropolitan municipality of Istanbul that is now called Basakşehir.
In addition to Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, Istvan Igloi-Nagy, the head of the Sports Diplomacy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade of Hungary, and director of YEE in Budapest Mustafa Aydoğdu, as well as former Director of the Hungarian Sports Museum Lajos Szabo, the exhibition's curator, as well as many football fans, attended the cultural event.
YEE, a Turkish public foundation founded in 2007, aims to promote the Turkish language, history, culture and art worldwide. It operates at least 80 cultural centers worldwide, with offices in Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Washington, D.C.
Visitors may also see photos of the matches between these nations, football shirts and equipment and the life stories of Hungarian football players who played for Türkiye's Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Besiktaş.
Many Hungarian footballers have previously represented Turkish teams. Attila Szalai and Balazs Dzsudzsak are well-known Hungarian players who have played for Turkish clubs.
Hungarian international Szalai was a Fenerbahce defender in 2021-2023, and former PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Dzsudzsak played for Bursaspor in the 2015-16 football seasons.
Türkiye and Hungary have met many times in football, including the European qualifiers, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Nations League and friendlies.
In March, Hungary defeated Türkiye 1-0 in an international friendly at Budapest's Puskas Arena.