By Askin Kiyagan
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AA) – As part of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year, an exhibition highlighting the two countries' friendly football relations opened on Tuesday in the capital Budapest.
"This exhibition shows how close Türkiye and Hungary are, not only in football but also in terms of cultural and human values. We will strengthen our brotherhood and friendship on the green pitch," said Turkish Ambassador to Budapest Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, who attended the opening ceremony.
Ankara and Budapest have strong bonds and celebrate 2024 as their joint year of culture. Hungary and Türkiye share a history, as Hungary has several Ottoman-era monuments, including the Gul Baba Tomb.
The exhibition "The Turkish-Hungarian Brotherhood on the Green Pitch" has been organized by the Turkish Embassy at Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Cultural Center in Budapest, with contributions from the Hungarian Olympic and Sports Museum.
The exhibition depicts the shared history of Turkish and Hungarian football, as well as both countries' experiences in the sport, friendship, and ties.
Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, the wife of former professional football player Ekrem Eksioglu, also attended the event.
Eksioglu played in Türkiye’s top-tier Super League for many seasons, primarily at Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi Spor Kulubu, a multi-sports club of the metropolitan municipality of Istanbul that is now called Basaksehir.
In addition to Gulsen Eksioglu, Istvan Igloi-Nagy, the head of the Sports Diplomacy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade of Hungary, and Director of Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) in Budapest Mustafa Aydogdu, as well as former Director of the Hungarian Sports Museum Lajos Szabo, the exhibition's curator, and many football fans, attended the cultural event.
Yunus Emre Institute, a Turkish public foundation founded in 2007, aims to promote the Turkish language, history, culture, and art around the world. It operates at least 80 cultural centers around the world, with offices in Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Washington DC.
Visitors may also see photos of the matches between these nations, football shirts and equipment, and the life stories of Hungarian football players who played for Türkiye's Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas.
Many Hungarian footballers have previously represented Turkish teams. Attila Szalai and Balazs Dzsudzsak are well-known Hungarian players who have played for Turkish clubs.
Hungarian international Szalai was a Fenerbahce defender in 2021-2023, and former PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Dzsudzsak played for Bursaspor in the 2015-16 football seasons.
Türkiye and Hungary have met many times in football, including the European qualifiers, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and UEFA Nations League, as well as friendlies.
In March, Hungary defeated Türkiye 1-0 in an international friendly at Budapest's Puskas Arena.