Following initiatives by Turkish Football Federation, UEFA's new office in Istanbul was inaugurated at TFF's historic Levent Mansion, becoming UEFA's third external hub after London and Brussels. The ceremony was honoured by the attendance of President of Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The opening drew a distinguished gathering that also included Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, Communications Director to Presidency of Republic of Türkiye Fahrettin Altun, Foreign Policy and Security Chief Advisor to Presidency of Republic of Türkiye and Ambassador Akif Çağatay Kılıç, TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, presidents and delegates of UEFA member associations, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, TFF Honorary President Şenes Erzik, former TFF presidents Servet Yardımcı and Nihat Özdemir, Turkish Super League Professional Football Clubs Association (Super League Clubs Association) President Ali Koç, Turkish League 1 Clubs Association President Ecmel Faik Sarıalioğlu, Turkish League 2 Clubs Foundation President Şaban Hakan Bolat, Turkish League 3 Clubs Association President Hacı Osman Altınkaya, presidents and executives of Turkish Super League clubs, TFF Vice Presidents Mecnun Otyakmaz, Fuat Göktaş and Prof. Dr. H. Zehra Neşe Kavak, TFF Board Members Cengiz Gökay, Zafer Bahadır Saraç, Mevlüt Aktan, Hasan Surözü, Mustafa Temel Bozbağ, Ural Aküzüm, Bilal Arslan, Murat Şahin, Fazlı Çilingir, Tahir Ediz Kıray, Muhammet Akçay and Esma Ersin, Men's Senior National Team Head Coach Vincenzo Montella, Women's Senior National Team Head Coach Necla Güngör Kıragası, TFF General Secretary Abdullah Ayaz, TFF Senior Advisor Yusuf Yerkel, UEFA Executive Committee Members and senior officials, senior executives from the media and sponsor companies.

President Erdoğan: "Through this representative office we will engage even more with UEFA and realise joint projects"

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated in his address that UEFA's Istanbul office will assume important roles in the various football events that will be held in our country in the coming years.

Expressing his belief that this opening will further strengthen Istanbul's multicultural identity, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "Beloved Istanbulites, Honourable Presidents, esteemed members of the football community, distinguished guests, I greet you with my sincerest feelings, respect and affection. I am pleased to be with you on the occasion of the opening of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Istanbul representative office. I hope that the office will prove auspicious for Turkish football. I welcome all our guests to our beautiful Istanbul, a city of civilisations, peace and tolerance, a city of history and culture, together with all of these, a city of sport and football. Istanbul has hosted people of different faiths for centuries; I believe that, with today's opening, the city will further reinforce its multicultural identity. I thank, in the person of President Aleksander Čeferin, the entire UEFA administration, our Turkish Football Federation and, of course, our Ministry of Youth and Sports for their efforts, support and dedication. The previous speakers have touched upon many points. Our Turkish Football Federation has been a full member of UEFA since 1962. For a full sixty three years we have worked in close coordination with UEFA. In just the last twenty years, we have successfully hosted UEFA Champions League finals in 2005 and 2023, UEFA Cup Final in 2009, FIFA Under20 World Cup in 2013 and the UEFA Super Cup Final in 2019. Our clubs appear in UEFA competitions every year. While our Men's Senior National Team reached the quarter finals at 2024 European Football Championship, it captured the hearts of football lovers with the quality of its play. In 2025 our Men's Senior National Team earned, for the first time in its history, the right to compete in UEFA Nations League A. God willing, we shall host UEFA Europa League Final in 2026 and UEFA Europa Conference League Final in 2027, and, together with Italy, we will stage 2032 European Football Championship."

"This office will accelerate UEFA's communication and coordination with regional federations"

Highlighting that the projects undertaken to bring our nation's football infrastructure up to world standards will advance to a new level with the opening of UEFA Istanbul Office, President Erdoğan continued: "I wish to state once again, very clearly, that Türkiye possesses more than sufficient capacity to shoulder every kind of international sporting event, including the Olympic Games. My dear friends, behind such a confident assertion lies not grandiloquence but the works and projects we have bestowed upon our country over the past twenty three years. We have carried Türkiye to a wholly different league in terms of sports investment. Depending on the needs of our provinces, we have commissioned new sports facilities. We have raised the total number of sports facilities from one thousand five hundred seventy five to four thousand four hundred seventy. We have spread synthetic courts for football, basketball and volleyball even into neighbourhoods. The number of football pitches has risen from five hundred ninety five to one thousand three hundred sixty five, an increase of more than twofold. Across Türkiye we have constructed stadiums, swimming pools, football pitches, youth centres, sports halls and athletics tracks. The number of our sports halls has reached nine hundred four, up from three hundred seventy two. We demolished many obsolete stadiums and built in their place new facilities of high quality that meet international standards. Of the stadiums we have built nationwide, thirty eight are already in service; four are under construction and four more are at the project and tender stages. Beyond these, we have largely completed the infrastructure deficiencies that affect sport. In particular we have reinforced our transport infrastructure with high-speed rail, airports, motorways, dual carriageways, bridges and other projects. The number of airports, formerly twenty six, has risen to fifty eight with the commissioning of Çukurova International Airport. In Istanbul, the locomotive city of Türkiye, we have implemented highly significant projects, from the project of the century, Marmaray, to Eurasia Tunnel, from Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge to Northern Marmara Motorway -importance of which was appreciated even more yesterday- from Istanbul Airport, where three runways can be used simultaneously, to rail-system projects totalling three hundred sixty two kilometres in length, and to countless other works, investments and services that would occupy us until the evening were we to list them here. In short, we have laboured in a spirit of mobilisation for twenty three years so that football in our country may reach the level it deserves and so that Türkiye's infrastructure in this field may attain world standards. Now we are elevating all these efforts to a higher stage through the opening of UEFA's Istanbul office. For the first time, after London and Brussels, UEFA is opening an office in Türkiye. Through this office we shall establish more contact with UEFA for the development of Turkish football and execute joint projects together. The office will also facilitate faster communication and coordination between UEFA and the regional federations. I believe that the office will assume particularly important roles in the various football events we shall organise in the coming years."

"I extend my heartfelt thanks to our guests who share our joy"

Touching also upon the earthquake epicentre of which was Istanbul and which was felt in neighbouring provinces the previous day, President Erdoğan said: "Distinguished guests, before concluding my remarks I offer my get-well wishes to all our citizens affected by yesterday's earthquake. In the meeting we held yesterday at AFAD with the participation of our ministers and bureaucrats, we received the latest information and gave the necessary instructions. Not having of any loss of lives is our greatest consolation. As the State, with all our units, we are working in a spirit of mobilisation. At our next Cabinet meeting we shall thoroughly evaluate the matter and then make the requisite statements to the public. Today I wish to stress the following point in particular: we absolutely do not approve of issues such as earthquakes, which shake and affect us all, being exploited for the polemics of daily politics. At such sensitive times we do not wish to enter into disputes with anyone; indeed we regard this as disrespectful to our nation. We invite opportunists who race to seize a log in the torrent to act with conscience and a sense of responsibility. As I have always said, these are days not for politicking but for being one, being together, showing solidarity and recalling our national fraternity. Anything that harms this shared feeling is wrong, untimely and unnecessary. Now is the time not to heap word upon word but to lay stone upon stone. Instead of seeking meaning or producing excuses, we must produce more work and action and devote all our energy to renewing our building stock as swiftly as possible. Without regard to what marginal elements who oppose every undertaking may say, we must focus on rapidly carrying out urban‑transformation projects. When we join hands and work together, it is indeed possible for us to cover great distances in a short time, for we are a nation endowed with the power, capacity, means and practicality to achieve this. Provided that we use our energy and resources correctly and do not allow discord to be sown among us, I pray that God protect our country and our nation from every kind of disaster, earthquake, accident and calamity. With these thoughts I wish that UEFA Istanbul Office may be beneficial; I once again congratulate our presidents and ministers who have contributed; I extend my heartfelt thanks to our guests who share our joy. I greet you with love and respect, entrust you to God and wish you good health."

Minister Bak: "Türkiye is the shining star of the region with its sports facilities and infrastructure"

In his speech, Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, emphasised that opening UEFA's Istanbul Office is a sound decision, coming on the heels of major investments in sport that are now bearing fruit.

Stating that our country possesses the potential to stage many events under UEFA's aegis, Minister Bak declared: "Esteemed President, highly respected UEFA President Čeferin, our valued club presidents, distinguished guests -welcome to the opening of UEFA's Istanbul office-. I would like to begin, of course, with the revolution in sports facilities that has taken place in Türkiye. Because our President, comes from the world of sport and football, Türkiye is experiencing a tremendous transformation in terms of sports facilities. Construction of thirty eight stadiums has been completed; four are ongoing and another four are in the planning stage. Consequently, Türkiye has the capacity to organise many events under UEFA. Indeed, Türkiye successfully hosted UEFA Champions League finals in 2005 and 2023, UEFA Super Cup Final in 2019, UEFA Cup Final in 2009, and will host UEFA Europa League Final in 2026 and UEFA Europa Conference League Final in 2027. With its sports facilities and infrastructure, Türkiye is truly the shining star of the region. Thanks to our President's support, Türkiye has also furnished every corner of the country with sports facilities in other disciplines, including swimming pools, sports halls and athletics tracks. Now it is time for successes to follow. For that reason, opening UEFA Istanbul Office to benefit from UEFA's experience and to cooperate with UEFA is an extremely appropriate decision. At this point we extend our thanks to UEFA President."

TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu: "This is the result of the progress Türkiye has made in sports"

TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu underlined that this historic inauguration reflects Türkiye's dynamic progress in sports: "Esteemed President, Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Distinguished UEFA President Mr. Aleksander Čeferin, valued Presidents and delegates of the member federations of UEFA, Former Presidents who served Turkish Football Federation, our comrades in Turkish Super League Professional Football Clubs Association and from Turkish Super League clubs, members of the press, dear guests, welcome. Today, we are witnessing a historic moment for Turkish football and taking a major step forward for both Türkiye and Istanbul. Our unique city of Istanbul -a crossroads of civilizations, a meeting point of continents, and a place where people of different religions and backgrounds have lived together for centuries- is becoming a regional and international center of football. This is the result of the progress Türkiye has made in sports. Our President, who has always shown his love for sports and comes from a football background, has consistently supported us on this path. Under his auspices, we are realizing this project to elevate Turkish football to a stronger international position. I extend my sincere gratitude to him for his unwavering support. Another key contributor to this project is UEFA President Mr. Aleksander Čeferin. I would like to express my thanks to him and the UEFA family for their cooperation, support, and trust."

"UEFA Istanbul office will also support Türkiye's upcoming hosting duties"

TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu stressed that the new office will benefit both Turkish and European football: "With this initiative -which serves not only the development of football but also promotes our country, supports youth development, and spreads the message of peace through sport- Türkiye's influence in the football world will grow even further. This will also enable more effective, faster, and lasting communication with UEFA's member federations. Through this new office, UEFA will strengthen its coordination with regional countries, and the integration of European football will deepen further. Türkiye, one of the few countries in the world with modern stadiums, will host three major UEFA events in a short period. 2026 UEFA Europa League Final and 2027 UEFA Conference League Final will be played in our country. In 2032, Turkey will co-host UEFA European Championship (EURO 2032) with Italy. UEFA representative office, opening today in Istanbul, will also support Türkiye's upcoming hosting duties, in which it has always excelled. I would also like to highlight one important detail: April holds a special place in the history of Türkiye - UEFA relations. Turkish Football Federation became a full member of UEFA 62 years ago in another month of April. Istanbul first hosted a UEFA Congress in 1978 -again, in April-. And here we are in another April, taking a historic step through this collaboration between Turkish Football Federation and UEFA. I offer my gratitude to all former presidents whether they are with us today or have passed on, including our Honorary President Mr. Şenes Erzik, who have contributed to the development of Türkiye - UEFA relations. We are fortunate to inaugurate this center on the path they began. I wholeheartedly believe that those who will serve after us will carry this legacy even further."

"We will continue our efforts to elevate this beautiful game in our country"

Concluding, TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu thanked everyone involved: "As Turkish Football Federation, we are fully aware of our responsibility. With the unifying power of football, we will continue our efforts to elevate this beautiful game to even greater heights in our country. We always wish to have the support of our government and our clubs on this journey. By deepening our cooperation with UEFA, we will continue to take steps that elevate the universal values of football. I hope this meaningful day will be auspicious for our country, our football community, and UEFA. I would like to once again express my gratitude to everyone who contributed, especially our President, and extend my sincere regards to all of you."

UEFA President Čeferin: "UEFA fully supports you on this journey"

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, in his speech, stated that UEFA will lend its full support to our country in the global sporting events it undertakes to host.

Referring to the important events on the horizon, UEFA President Čeferin said: "President Erdoğan, Mr. İbrahim, dear friends. It is always a great pleasure to be in Istanbul, a magical city with a history that links two continents. Türkiye continues to demonstrate even greater ambition and commitment to prove itself as one of the world's leading hosts of global sport. The bar is set high, and UEFA fully supports you on this journey. With numerous significant tournaments approaching, we decided to open an office in Istanbul in order to have a strong local presence and to ensure that these prestigious competitions are delivered flawlessly."

"We are deeply grateful to President Erdoğan and TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu for the support they have given us"

Expressing that standards will be set for the future, UEFA President Čeferin continued: "Now we are bringing together all our experience, expertise and best practices to make these events truly extraordinary. Together I am sure we will not only meet expectations but greatly exceed them. We are looking forward to magnificent tournaments, and I hope that the final of 2032 European Championship will be between Italy and Türkiye. We are deeply grateful to your government, to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to Turkish Football Federation and to TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu for all the support given to us."

Following the speeches by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA's Istanbul Office was officially inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The opening event concluded with a group photograph taken on stage.