Women's football in Turkey is the women's branch of football in Turkey and is governed by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
Although Turkey is one of the first countries to adapt women's rights, its practical realization in every part of the society took time. Due to differentiation in the society between men's and women's sports, Turkish women fell behind men in sports. The slogan "football is a men's sport" caused that women were not interested in football in the early days. This incorrect assessment and approach hindered that the number of participants in women's football, like women audience, women footballers, women coaches, women managers and women referees, did not reach the desired level.
The first recorded involvement of women in football took place when six women played in a mixed-gender match in ðzmir on 24 May 1954. The first ever football match of only women was played between the ðzmir Women's Football team and Istanbul Women's Football team at Mithatpaà Âa Stadium in Istanbul, today Vodafone Park, on 4 July 1954. During a sports festival on 10 July 1955, one more football match was played between women's teams. There is no indication of women's football event between 1955 and 1969. On 22 August 1969, the first international women's football game in Turkey was played between Italy Girls' and the Joint-Europe Girls' teams at Mithatpaà Âa Stadium. The match ended with a draw of 1âÂÂ1 while the Turkish player Afitap scored the only goal of the Joint-Europe team. In 1969, Kñnalñada Sports Club in Istanbul formed a girls' football team, which played miniature football in the gym. The team later continued their activities competing against boys' football teams.
In 1971, Haluk HekimoÃÂlu formed a women's team named "Istanbul Kñz Futbol Takñmñ" (Istanbul Girls' Football Team) with 13 young women on his own personal efforts. This team pioneered the foundation of the country's first women's football club Dostluk Spor (Turkish for "Friendship"), which was officially registered as an association on 19 April 1973 at Moda neighborhood of Kadñköy district in Istanbul. Due to lack of any other women's football teams, Dostluk Spor played demonstration games with men's teams of retired or junior players before some jubilee matches, derbies and season's opening games between 1973 and 1978. The team contributed much to the women's football in Turkey playing in many cities of the country. Their fundraising matches after the 1976 ÃÂaldñranâÂÂMuradiye earthquake in Van, eastern Turkey helped growing of social responsibility in the society. The team's advertisement in the newspapers to recruit women players found positive response.
Dostluk Spor's success led soon to the establishment of other women's football teams such as Filizspor in ðzmir formed in 1978 by the female students of the Namñk Kemal High School, and ðncirlispor, Nazende Spor in Ankara the same year. A friendly match played between Filizspor and Dostluk Spor at ðzmir Alsancak Stadium ended with the Dostluk Spor's victory of 14âÂÂ0. Foundation of women's teams in Kocaeli and Samsun followed later. In 1979, Dostluk Spor played a friendly match with the German team SC 07 Bad Neuenahr losing 0âÂÂ4. This was Dostluk Spor team's first ever international match, and also the first ever international women's football match at clubs' level played in Turkey. On 17 August 1980, Dostluk Spor met Filizspor from ðzmir again at Vefa Stadium, Istanbul. An outpoint like in the first match in 1978 was not possible this time, the team from ðzmir was defeated only by 2âÂÂ1. With the foundation of Atñlñmspor and Deryaspor in 1980, the number of women's football teams in Istanbul reached three.
With the formation of Dinarsu Women's Football Team in 1982, women's football in Turkey rose to higher levels. Finally, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) decided at its board meeting on 22 December 1993, to officially establish a league for women's football. Later on, the TFF published the format and the rules for the Turkish Women's Football League. On 1 March 1994, the schedule of the league matches was determined for a total of 16 teams in four groups to meet each other in turn. The beginning of the first women's league season was planned for 20 March 1994. However, the start was postponed to 2âÂÂ3 April due to the 1994 local elections held on 27 March.
Ten years later, there were ten teams active, and the Women's League was dissolved. According to Adnan Ersan, deputy secretary general of the TFF, the league based on a wrong system. The clubs paid barely attention to the provision of experience and training for young players. They did not look ahead for the future, and deployed players older than twenty years of age. Moreover, the women's national team played no matches from Mai 2000 on. A great many of factors, which sent women's football in Turkey into offside.
In 2006, the Turkish Women's League was re-established with seven teams, and the Turkish women participated again at international competitions. In the meantime, the government supported the development. The Turkish Ministry of National Education coined a concept in cooperation with the Football Federation that envisaged the establishment of girls' football teams in primary and secondary schools. The women's football in Turkey revived, however the national team was composed of young players of amateur-level experience only. National teams of girls' U-17 and U-15 were established in order to feed the women's national team. Young women's footballers in Germany with Turkish-background were seen as a fill-in to strengthen the national team qualitatively, and were called up.
In order to contribute to the development of women's football, the Board of Directors of the Turkish Football Federation decided on 27 October 2021 to establish the Türkcell Women's Super Football League as the top-flight of the Turkish women's football league system beginning in the 2021âÂÂ22 season. The 2021âÂÂ22 Türkcell Women's Football Super League consisted of 24 teams.
In the 2022âÂÂ23 season, the number of leagues increased to four.
The number of women's clubs was seven with 130 licensed footballers in the 2005âÂÂ06 season. As of the 2010âÂÂ11 season, there were 72 clubs with 1,500 players.
Until the 2021âÂÂ22 season, the following competition categories existed for women's football:
From the 2022âÂÂ23 season on, the women's league system was extended to four leagues.
The Women's First League () is the top national competition for women's football in Turkey. The league was established in 1993 starting with the 1993âÂÂ94 season. The 2000âÂÂ01 season was apparently the first official competition. Three consecutive seasons between 2003 and 2005 were not played.
The number of clubs competing in the First League varied from season to season, and dropped from ten in the 2012âÂÂ13 season to eight in the 2013âÂÂ14 season. The last standing clubs are relegated to the lower Second League. The number of clubs competing in the First League increased from 10 to 12 in the 2019âÂÂ20 First League season.
With the sponsorship of the mobile phone operator Türkcell, the league was named 2020âÂÂ21 Turkcell Women's Football League as other sub-level leagues were not played dure to the pandemic. The number of clubs increased from 12 to 16 with promoting of four clubs from the 2019âÂÂ20 Women's Second League to the existing 12 clubs.
By October 2021, the Turkish Football federation (TFF) established the Türkish Women's Football Super League (), which is called Turkcell Women's Football Super League for sponsorship reasons. Eight clubs of the Süper Lig founded women's football teams and joined the newly established league, which consists of 24 clubs. The 2021âÂÂ22 Turkcell Women's Football Super League is played in two groups of 12 teams. The first standing four teams compete in the play-offs, and the last standing four teams of each group will in the play-outs. Four unsuccessful team relegate to the second-level league.
The following teams played once in the top-level league:
League champion team represents Turkey at the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Notes:
The Women's Second League () is the regional organization for all the clubs, which do not take part in the Women's First League. At the end of each league season, last placed teams of the First League are relegated to the Second League. The top standing teams of the Second League are promoted to the First League. Since there exist no lower-level league than the Second League, no relegation takes place from this league.
In the 2013âÂÂ14 season, a total of 69 teams competed in eight divisions as following: With the 2015âÂÂ16 season, the number of teams competing in the Second League was set to twelve. In the 2020âÂÂ21 season no second league was played due to COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.
In the 2022âÂÂ23 season, the TFF extended the league system to four leagues. The former Women's Football Second League became Women's Football First league. ñn the 2022âÂÂ23 Turkish Women's Football First League, 14 teams, four relegated teams of the Super League, and ten teams of the former Second League after relegation of 16 teams to the third level league, will compete in two groups.
The Turkish Women's Football Regional League () existed two seasons between 2009 and 2011. 22 to 23 teams competed in four groups. Four seasons after its establishment, the Women's Third League was established in the 2014âÂÂ15 season.
The Turkish Women's Third Football League was a regional league and is composed of fifteen groups with five to six teams each, making a total of 85 women's teams.
In the 2022âÂÂ23 season, the former Women's Third Football League was renamed Women's Football Second League. The league consists of 20 teams in three groups with 16 teams relegated from the former Second League and 8 teams promoted from the former Third League. Four of the teams did not register. The group matches started on 12 March and will end on 3 June.
In the 2022âÂÂ23 season, the former Women's Football Third League will be played with the former Third League teams. A total of 91 teams in 20 groups will compete between 18 March and 19 April.
As of the 2022âÂÂ23 season, the TFF made compulsory that the Women's Super League clubs hold a juniors or youth team to play in any girls' championship.
A junior or youth team of a club, which has no team playing in any league, may be promoted up to a league when they meet the status criteria of league teams.
For the girls of age group 15âÂÂ17, the Girls' U-17 Turkey Championship () is being held. It is an important organization in respect of the development of women's football in Turkey.
The first leg of the 2009 Girls' U-17 Turkey Championship () was held between 9âÂÂ12 July 2009 with the participation of 36 clubs in six groups across Turkey each having six teams. The top first teams of the six groups were entitled to play the finals. The finals were held between 23âÂÂ25 July 2009 in Bartñn. Mevlana Lisesi from ÃÂmraniye, Istanbul became champion of the 2008âÂÂ09 season defeating ðzmir Konak Belediyespor by 1âÂÂ0 in the final match.
The Girls' U-17 Turkey Championship developed rapidly in the following years so that the number of participating teams increased from 27 in 2008 to 110 in 2018.
The TFF announced by August 2019 in its 2019âÂÂ20 season's competition status that the Girls' U-17 Championship was abolished. The decision was sharply criticized by some women's football club managers. It was claimed that girl footballers of age group 15âÂÂ16 will be forced to play in the senior team of their club with the disadvantage of appearing against older and much experienced opponents.
The Girls' U-15 Regional Championship () is organized for the girls' teams in the age category 13âÂÂ14.
It was held in the 2008âÂÂ09 season between 18âÂÂ20 July 2009 with the participation of six teams in two groups. The leaders of the two groups, Kocaeli Gölcükspor and Bursa SaÃÂlñkgücüspor, played the finals in Düzce. Gölcükspor became champion by winning 3âÂÂ0.
Horozkentspor (Denizli) won the 2016 championship title. Kocaeli Harb-Ã°à  became runner-up and Konak Belediyespor (ðzmir) placed third.
The Girls' U-13 Local Championships ) are held in provinces, where at least four teams participate. The teams consists of a goalkeeper, seven players and five substitutes.
Taking the extension of the women's football league system in the 2022âÂÂ23 season into account, the TFF set new eligibility criteria for players and coaches.
In case of the transfer of a player, a fee is paid to the former club as follows:
Women's football in Turkey is represented in international competitions by:
A 2013-FIFA report stated that Turkey makes serious efforts to develop a strong women's national team at senior level by using foreign resources. Turkish-descent female players from diverse nations, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the US, are called up to international events. The idea behind is the hope that the experience of these players will help improve the standards, and give the youngsters at home a boost.
By virtue of winning 2008âÂÂ09 Turkey National Women's First League, Trabzonspor played in August 2009 in the Group D for qualification to the 2009âÂÂ10 UEFA Women's Champions League. This was the first time ever a Turkish women's football team participated in the play-offs for the UEFA league established in the 2001âÂÂ2002 season. The team won its first match against à ½NK Krka from Slovenia by 2âÂÂ0, however lost the following plays to Torres Calcio Femminile of Italy by 0âÂÂ9 and to Slovan Duslo à  aþa from Slovakia by 1âÂÂ2. Trabzonspor women's team failed so to participate in the 2009âÂÂ2010 UEFA Champions League.
In the following years, Gazi ÃÂniversitesispor in 2010âÂÂ11, Ataà Âehir Belediyespor, twice in 2011âÂÂ12 and 2012âÂÂ13, and Konak Belediyespor, also twice in 2013âÂÂ14 and 2014âÂÂ15, played in the UEFA Women's Champions League. In the 2013âÂÂ14 season, Konak Belediyespor became the first ever Turkish women's team to play in the league's Round of 16 knockout phase.
Former notable women coaches are:
Current women coaches are: