The historic city of Mexico witnessed Ahmet Ayık's triumphant victory in freestyle wrestling at 97 kg. during the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Now at the age of 85, he is optimistic about Türkiye's national wrestlers participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, yearning for a revival of the pride they felt during the 1960 Rome Olympics when they clinched seven gold medals.
After concluding an illustrious wrestling career marked by historic achievements and serving as the president of the Turkish Wrestling Federation for two terms, Ayık, a living legend of Türkiye, is brimming with excitement as he prepares to travel to Serbia's capital, Belgrade where he will receive an award 61 years after coming second in the Adriatic Cup, thanks to an invitation from Nenad Lalovic, president of the United World Wrestling (UWW).
In an exclusive interview at his Champion Holiday Village in Kemer, Antalya, Ayık recounted his journey into wrestling, his career highlights, fond memories, and his thoughts on the future of Turkish wrestling.
The former president of the Turkish Wrestling Foundation spoke of his humble beginnings in Eskiköy, Sivas, where he started with traditional Turkish wrestling known as "karakucak."
He attributed his path to becoming a licensed wrestler at the Kayseri Tayyare Factory Air Supply Center Air Power Club to the encouragement of Air Force Lt. Col. Ahmet Elbirlik, who approached him on a motorcycle, and coach Ibrahim Önder.
Their words to his father, Ömer Ayık, left a profound impact, "He will be a source of pride for our country and make the Turkish National Anthem heard worldwide."
Reflecting on his early achievements, Ayık recalled that winning second place in the Adriatic Cup in 1962 was his first significant international achievement.
He expressed joy in being invited to Belgrade to receive an award from the World Wrestling Federation 61 years after the event.
Ahmet Ayık's illustrious career included a gold medal at the 1965 World Wrestling Championships in Manchester, England, where he defeated the Russian champion Aleksandr Medved in the finals, despite Medved having secured two world championships and one Olympic championship up until then.
He also highlighted the emotional significance of winning a silver medal at the 1966 World Wrestling Championships in Toledo, Ohio, U.S., where the scoring system led to his victory without a single loss.
However, it was the 1968 Olympics that etched an indelible memory, with Ayık standing atop the podium, raising the Turkish flag, and playing the Turkish National Anthem.
He shared a memorable Olympic moment, recounting a match against American wrestler Jess Lewis where he was trailing 1-0.
At that critical moment, the voice of his fellow Olympic champion and friend Mahmut Atalay resonated in his ears, inspiring him to rally. Ayık recalled, "Mahmut Atalay, who was by the mat, shouted, 'How are you wrestling? Instead of saying Ahmet Ayık lost, let them say he died.' The match was about to end soon. I got on the mat, bagged points against my opponent, and the bell rang, ending the match. Otherwise, the championship would have slipped away. I went on to win the final against other competitors."
After two stints in wrestling, Ayık took a break from the sport and ventured into business in 1970.
Ayık emphasized the camaraderie that developed among his wrestling rivals.
"All my competitors are people I love and respect. In sports, you face each other on the mat. Everyone competes fiercely conforming to the rules. Outside the mat, friendship and brotherhood begin. Medved and I have been friends for years. He comes here, and I go to his tournaments. An unforgettable opponent, both as a rival and a friend," he said.
Speaking about the importance of unity and solidarity during the Olympic journey, Ahmet Ayık emphasized: "We need to work hard to succeed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. We have at least two-three friends whom we expect to win medals. Taha and Rıza, both in heavyweight category, are among them. We also have a few young friends. We expect medals from them as well. Along with those medals, hopefully, our young athletes will make us relive the 1960 Rome Olympics. We hope for it, wish for it, and we are hopeful. In Turkish wrestling, the pinnacle of achievement is the 1960 Rome Olympics when we won seven gold medals. Back then, Türkiye was ranked sixth in the world in the team standings. Now we are 40-41st."
Ayık mentioned his role in establishing the women's wrestling national team.
"Turkish women excel in every field they choose, just as they did during the War of Independence. Whether carrying artillery shells on their shoulders or fighting side-by-side with soldiers, Turkish women have the potential to succeed in any sport. We all took pride in our women's volleyball national team becoming European champions. I thank everyone who contributed to this success. We all hope for similar achievements in all our sports. Why not in wrestling?" he said.
Ahmet Ayık, who received the "State Distinguished Service Medal" in 1997 and the "Turkish Grand National Assembly Distinguished Service Award" in 2008, also revealed that he played the lead role in a film portraying the famous wrestler Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan in 1988 and donated the copyright royalties to his foundation.
Regarding the wrestling federations, Ayık advocated for a unified approach rather than separate federations for each wrestling discipline, believing that the president of the Turkish Wrestling Federation, Şeref Eroğlu, will make significant strides in the field.
He concluded by sharing an interesting anecdote about various political leaders who had approached him to join politics over the years.
While he declined their offers, he found humor in the words of professor Necmettin Erbakan, who once told him, "Being a national wrestler is synonymous with being a national idealist."