Türkiye Gymnastics Federation President Suat Çelen says the men’s artistic gymnastics team is no longer chasing respectability in Europe. It is chasing medals.

Visiting the national team’s training camp in Bolu, Çelen said he believes the squad will compete in finals and stand on the podium at World Cups and major championships in 2026, marking another step in Türkiye’s steady rise on the international gymnastics stage.

The team is holding its second training camp of the season at the Murat Canbaş Gymnastics Hall in Bolu’s Karaçayır district, a location Çelen described as a strategic hub for Turkish gymnastics.

Joined by Provincial Director of Youth and Sports Emrullah Güler, Çelen observed training sessions and received updates from coaches on athletes’ physical and technical progress.

"Bolu has always been good for us,” Çelen said. "The athletes are gradually reaching form, and this year is especially important because Olympic qualification events begin with the European Championships.”

He noted that this year’s European and world competitions serve as the first qualifying phase for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Under the current system, teams that fail to place in the top 13 at the European Championships cannot advance to the World Championships.

"That is no longer our mindset,” Çelen said. "We are not a country aiming just to be in the top 13 in Europe. Our goal is to reach finals consistently and to win team medals.”

A team built for finals

Çelen outlined the current national team setup, noting that Adem Asil is training in Russia, while Ferhat Arıcan and İbrahim Çolak are continuing individual programs in İzmir. The rest of the men’s national team is camped in Bolu, while the women’s national team will prepare for the new season in Istanbul.

Pointing to recent results, Çelen said the men’s team has been named Europe’s Team of the Year twice, a milestone that reflects a shift from promise to expectation.

"This is now a team built to target medals in Europe,” he said. "I sincerely believe these athletes will always be present in finals. Turkish gymnastics is on a stable upward path, and I expect our gymnasts to start reaching finals and winning medals from the first World Cup of 2026.”

World Cups, Challenge Cups and the World Championships are all part of that vision, he added, with podium finishes set as the benchmark rather than the exception.

Çelen also positioned gymnastics as one of Türkiye’s strongest medal hopes for the Los Angeles Olympics, crediting sustained investment in infrastructure and grassroots development.

From limited facilities to nationwide growth

He highlighted the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, saying investments now span every age group and every corner of the country.

"Today, we have coaches and gymnastics halls in all 81 provinces,” Çelen said. "Around 30 provinces have Olympic-standard facilities. There was a time when gymnastics halls existed in only a few cities.”

The growth has been just as dramatic in coaching numbers. Türkiye once had roughly 30 artistic gymnastics coaches. That figure has now risen to between 400 and 500.

"This is a massive gain for Turkish sport,” Çelen said.

Influence beyond the competition floor

Çelen said Türkiye’s progress is no longer limited to athlete development. The country has become an influential voice in global gymnastics governance.

"There were times when international federations would not even return our calls,” he said. "Today, the vice president of the International Gymnastics Federation is Turkish. We are represented in European, Balkan and Mediterranean gymnastics leadership. This did not happen easily. It came through hard work.”

He also praised the rise of Turkish officials in international judging, noting that several referees have reached the highest category in international gymnastics, a level reserved for a limited number of officials worldwide.

"That is a source of real pride,” he said.

Türkiye has also become a destination rather than a departure point for elite training camps. While Turkish gymnasts once had to travel abroad to prepare, many foreign teams now choose Türkiye for camps.

Çelen said 44 countries have applied to compete in this year’s World Cup event in Antalya, a sign that teams will arrive early to train in the country ahead of competition.

He closed by underlining gymnastics’ foundational role across all sports, saying a country’s overall sporting strength often mirrors the depth of its gymnastics system.