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The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has taken a major step onto the global stage. President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu has been appointed to FIFA’s Stadium and Security Committee, while Vice President Prof. Dr. H. Zehra Neşe Kavak joins the FIFA Medical Committee – both serving during the 2025-2029 term.
The dual appointments underscore Türkiye’s rising influence in shaping football’s future, particularly in infrastructure, safety and player welfare.
New era
The announcement followed FIFA’s executive meetings in Zurich, where global leaders finalized the composition of revamped committees aimed at improving inclusivity and transparency.
The move reflects FIFA’s broader reforms launched in October 2025, emphasizing collaboration to tackle challenges like geopolitical instability, stadium safety and post-pandemic health standards.
For Türkiye, the news marks a symbolic elevation.
With two senior officials now seated in FIFA’s top advisory bodies, the TFF’s voice will resonate louder in conversations shaping world football’s next decade.
Hacıosmanoğlu the standard-bearer
Hacıosmanoğlu, who became TFF president in early 2024 after a contentious election, has built a reputation for taking bold stances on global issues.
A former Trabzonspor president, he is no stranger to controversy or reform.
In 2025, he made headlines for urging FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel’s national teams amid the Gaza humanitarian crisis – a move reflecting his conviction that football should serve peace as much as competition.
As a member of FIFA’s Stadium and Security Committee, he will help shape global policies on event safety, fan management and stadium design.
The committee’s influence spans everything from crowd control measures to cybersecurity planning for tournaments like the 2026 World Cup in North America.
His appointment also highlights Türkiye’s growing reputation for modern football infrastructure, with venues such as Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium meeting FIFA’s elite safety and sustainability standards.
Under his leadership, the TFF has invested heavily in fan surveillance systems, anti-hooliganism efforts and emergency response training, aligning with FIFA’s goals to ensure that tragedies like Indonesia’s 2022 stadium disaster never repeat.
Kavak: Bridging medicine and the pitch
While Hacıosmanoğlu focuses on stadiums, Prof. Dr. Zehra Neşe Kavak will take Türkiye’s influence into the realm of player health.
A leading obstetrician and perinatologist, Kavak has combined medical excellence with sports leadership since joining the TFF board in 2024.
At FIFA, she will serve on the Medical Committee, a body shaping policy on player safety, concussion management, doping control and mental health.
Kavak’s dual background makes her uniquely positioned to push for holistic athlete welfare – particularly for women.
She has spearheaded initiatives promoting mental health support and gender equity within Turkish football, aligning with FIFA’s #WePlayStrong campaign.
Her medical insight will strengthen FIFA’s programs like FIFA 11+, which has significantly reduced ACL injuries and enhance new priorities such as cardiac screening and reproductive health support for female players.
Domestically, her influence is already visible: TFF data show a 20% decline in match-day injuries across the Süper Lig last season.
Global platform for Turkish football
These dual appointments mark one of Türkiye’s most significant breakthroughs in FIFA governance in decades.
They come as the TFF rebuilds from recent challenges, including the 2023 earthquakes that strained sports infrastructure nationwide.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the appointments as part of “a more united and equitable football family.”
For Türkiye, that could mean expanded access to FIFA’s Forward Program funding, support for stadium modernization and enhanced prospects for major event bids – perhaps even a future Olympics or World Cup co-hosting opportunity.
