The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Tuesday clarified that a recent visit to its VAR Center at the Riva Hasan Doğan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities was purely educational, following the FIFA Badge Award Ceremony held at the same venue.
The event, attended by Youth and Sports Minister Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, TFF President Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, board members, and Central Referee Committee (MHK) representatives, celebrated 36 referees cleared by FIFA to carry the international badge in 2026, including seven first-time recipients.
Immediately after the ceremony, participants toured the VAR Center, a facility designed to train referees and demonstrate the system’s operational and educational applications.
According to TFF, the visit focused on familiarizing attendees with the technology supporting referee education, showing sample footage from domestic and international matches, and highlighting how VAR functions under FIFA and IFAB standards.
TFF emphasized the tour was not related to reviewing or evaluating any match, refereeing decision, or controversial incident.
The clarification addressed media speculation suggesting Minister Bak had reviewed disputed calls from Rizespor’s recent match against Galatasaray, a claim TFF and the ministry denied.
“The VAR system is a technical support tool assisting on-field referees, applied in full compliance with international protocols,” the federation said. “The visit was strictly technical and educational. Any suggestion of ulterior motives does not reflect reality.”
Since its phased introduction in the 2018-2019 Süper Lig season, the VAR Center has become a cornerstone of Turkish refereeing infrastructure.
It features multiple review stations, high-definition multi-angle feeds, and communication systems linking officials, providing a controlled environment for training and demonstration while reinforcing transparency, impartiality, and adherence to the Laws of the Game.
