Two sisters from Bitlis are pushing Türkiye’s combat-sports legacy forward, training with the same relentless drive that carried them to world and European podiums and now fuels their pursuit of new titles.
For more than a decade, Gamze Korkmaz, 21, and her younger sister, Özlem Melek Korkmaz, 19, have built their names in muay thai and kickboxing, turning a small gym in Bitlis’ Tatvan district into a factory of champions.
Both study physical education at Bitlis Eren University, balancing coursework with a training routine that has rarely slowed in 11 years.
Their latest breakthroughs came weeks apart.
In November, Özlem Melek Korkmaz stormed through the World Kickboxing Championships in Abu Dhabi, defeating every opponent to claim the world title.
Not long before, Gamze Korkmaz captured silver at the Muay Thai European Championships in Greece, strengthening the sisters’ growing reputation for discipline, power and technical polish.
Özlem says she owes her start in the sport to her older sister’s encouragement and the guidance of longtime coach Ömer Uğur.
“I’ve been training under Coach Ömer for 10 years,” she said. “Winning the world championship and hearing our national anthem was the greatest honor of my life. I’m proud to bring this joy to Türkiye and to Bitlis. I tell every child – especially girls – to try these sports. My goal is to stay on top of the world.”
Gamze Korkmaz shared the ambition.
“My sister and I have earned many national and international titles together,” she said. “I finished second in Europe, and Özlem became world champion. Representing our country is a huge honor, and now we want to become world champions in both branches and raise our flag even higher.”
Coach Uğur says none of it is accidental.
“This success comes from more than 10 years of nonstop work,” he said. “They showed remarkable dedication in both sports this year. I’m confident even bigger achievements are ahead.”
