After successfully hosting mega sports events like the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games and the 4th World Nomad Games earlier this year, Türkiye is now ready to host the top European policy and decision-makers in the fields of sports as the 17th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport will kick off in southwestern Türkiye’s Antalya on Wednesday.
The conference will welcome sports ministers and high-level delegates from across the continent and leading sports bodies.
It will be preceded by a meeting of the representatives of the 46 Council of Europe member States, as well as the Extended Partial Sports Agreement (EPAS) non-Council of Europe member States on Wednesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will inaugurate the event Wednesday. He will be joined by Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoğlu, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric and member and head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to the event, Linda Hofstad Helleland.
Ministers responsible for sports from 54 countries that are members and observers of the EPAS, 29 international sports organizations, including UEFA and FIBA, and members of the EPAS Advisory Committee will attend the conference.
It will also see senior-level representation and delegations from other international sports organizations like the IOC, IPC, FIFA, and WADA, etc. as well as officials who follow and coordinate the implementation of agreements on violence, doping and corruption in sports, and members of the national and international press.
The conference comes to the forefront as one of the most important tools that determine the direction of international organizations and sportive activities, especially in Europe.
It also ensures the highest level of negotiation of the dominant issues of sports policy and encourages interstate cooperation in the field.
The conference Thursday will focus on two different themes – “Sport for All: Uniting us for Stronger Societies” and “Rethinking Sport: Leading the Way for a Healthy and Sustainable Future.
Former Dutch football star and UEFA Foundation for Children Board Member Clarence Seedorf will present a keynote speech on the first theme.
He will be joined by International Paralympic Committee’s chief membership and impact officer, Kristina Molloy, Turkish national women’s volleyball team coach Giovanni Guidetti, co-chair of the International Working Group on Women and Sport, Annamarie Phelps, and Chair of the European Commission’s High-Level Group on Gender Equality in Sport, Emine Bozkurt.
The keynote speakers for the second theme, “Rethinking Sport: Leading the Way for a Healthy and Sustainable Future,” will include Turkish Paralympic gold medalist archer Gizem Girişmen, president of the European Olympic Committees and IOC member Spyros Capralos and multiple World Champion in sailing and advocate for clean seas, Marcelien Bos-De Koning.
The second theme allows a new beginning in the context of the implementation of the European Charter for Sport, which was approved to be revised at the previous Ministerial Conference. It will also ensure that the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, which represent the fundamental values of Europe, make their presence felt more in the colorful and unifying world of sports.
At the Ministerial Conference, in the meanwhile, the "Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions" (Macolin Convention), which is the only international agreement on combating corruption in sports, will be signed by Minister Kasapoğlu on behalf of Türkiye.
The panel discussion on “Integration of Migrants and Refugees through Sports” will be one of the key events at the conference for Türkiye, which holds vast experience in the field. It will be accompanied by high-level guests to convey and share experiences and practices.
Guests visiting Türkiye as part of the Ministerial Conference will also enjoy a cultural and social program that will feature a show by the renowned dance group Fire of Anatolia at the Aspendos Antique Theater.
