Şenol Onay

Sport is an individual pursuit; athletes achieve success through talent, hard work, and determination, striving for their own success. However, almost every Turkish athlete who wins a medal on the international stage claims they came there for their nation, resorting to chauvinistic rhetoric. The imposition of excessive nationalism on the public, coupled with the fact that they work for salaries in state-owned clubs and that the prize regulations distribute unprecedented amounts of money and gold, further fuels these kinds of statements. I don't think there are any British, French, or German athletes who say, "I became European champion, second, or third for my nation." I know that the people there are intelligent and can't be appeased with such lullabies. What would you do for your country without material gain? Don't try to manipulate us; tell those lullabies to babies!