TVF President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ: “What we have done in Turkish volleyball is a guarantee of what we will do.”

Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation, emphasized that the successes in volleyball should be sustainable. President Üstündağ also mentioned that they have implemented twice the number of projects they promised as a management team.

The 6th Ordinary General Assembly of the Turkish Volleyball Federation will be held tomorrow at 10:00 in Ankara. Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, who has been serving as the president of the federation since 2016 and is running for re-election, answered the questions of İhlas News Agency (İHA) reporters on various topics such as election campaigns, the development of Turkish volleyball, and national teams.

“What we have done in Turkish volleyball is a guarantee of what we will do”

Initially sharing his thoughts on the election, Üstündağ stated, “Two candidates will compete. I was the only candidate for two elections, but a colleague announced his candidacy at the last minute for this election. I wish success and good luck to him. It should be a beautiful, sportsmanlike competition, worthy of the volleyball community; because this is a different community. It has come here with a magnificent process from the first day to today. It will continue like this from now on, no matter who wins, it will go on like this. What we have done in Turkish volleyball is a guarantee of what we will do. This is valid for this place. We have proven what we did in the past. A year ago, we experienced world and European championships, and in the Paris 2024 Olympics, we experienced our best result in history, reaching the semifinals. What else could be, why, we do not understand this. We will see what projects will be presented at the general assembly. I hope it will be for the best,” he expressed.

“We are a branch preferred by girls”

Regarding the spread of volleyball throughout the country, especially the increasing interest of girls, President Üstündağ said, “Today, we are a branch that 80% of girls prefer. How wonderful is that? We are experiencing a fantastic process. Ultimately, we cannot fit into the halls. For instance, today the tickets for a match sold out in 5-6 minutes. I believe that volleyball has reached a point where it needs to be sustainable. This success will need to continue in a sustainable way,” he remarked.

“Whatever project we started, we have definitely brought it to life”

Mehmet Akif Üstündağ conveyed that they have realized all the projects during his tenure. Üstündağ stated, “Our projects never end. To date, we have delivered twice what we promised regarding implementing projects. Whatever project we started, we have definitely achieved results and brought it to life. We see the results here.”

“Only our national team experienced obstacles and misfortunes in Paris”

In response to the question of whether the A National Women’s Volleyball Team was unsuccessful in the ‘Paris 2024 Olympic Games,’ President Üstündağ said:
“It cannot be said that they were unsuccessful. The expectations and the bar were very high. Everyone was expecting a final or a medal, but we passed close to the medal. We need to look at the injuries and adversities this team faced. Among the 12 teams, only our national team experienced these adversities and misfortunes. A season ago, you become both the European and world champion, we were an undefeated team with 22 wins out of 22 matches. This is sports; you cannot say, ‘You will win everything.’ Then there won’t be competition.”

“We undoubtedly have the best league for women”

Emphasizing that Turkey has the best league in the world for both women and men, the TVF President said, “Clubs work with world stars. We can say that the Turkish league for both women and men is the best in the world. Undoubtedly, we have the best league for women. The proof of this is that every year at the Champions League Final Four, at least two teams participate; a season ago, two Turkish teams played in the final, and this situation alternates between Italy and Turkey. I can say that Turkey is number one in Europe and the world.”

“The 2026 European Volleyball Championship will be held in Turkey”

Recalling the recent organizations hosted by Turkey at the national team and club levels, Üstündağ commented on new organizations, saying, “The 2026 European Volleyball Championship will be held in Turkey. This is a very large organization. There will be no greater achievements than this.”

“Eda Erdem is a symbol of Turkish volleyball”

When asked about A National Women’s Volleyball Team captain Eda Erdem continuing her career as an administrator after retiring, President Üstündağ said:
“Eda is still at the beginning of her journey. After Eda says ‘I quit,’ we need to think about this. Eda is the symbol and pride of Turkish volleyball. Wherever she wants to take a role in Turkish volleyball, if we have the opportunity, of course, she will go as far as she can.”

“Both Montella and Santarelli are successful right now”

Mehmet Akif Üstündağ also addressed the presence of Italian coaches at the head of national teams in football and volleyball, stating, “Both Montella and Santarelli are currently successful. Santarelli has brought firsts to this country. I hope Montella will also bring a first to this country. Yesterday, I listened to the statement of the president of the Turkish Football Federation; he said, ‘We haven’t been able to go to the World Cup for 22 years.’ However, we have always been among the top 4 in the world championship for 20 years. There is no world championship we haven’t attended.” President Üstündağ also added that the match they lost to South Korea in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was the match he was most saddened by.