Gaziantep

Full name	Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü A.Ş.[1]
Nickname	Şahinler (The Falcons)
Short name	GFK
Founded	1988; 38 years ago (1988) (as Sankospor) 1999; 27 years ago (1999) (as Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor) 2017; 9 years ago (2017) (as Gazişehir Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü) 2019; 7 years ago (2019) (as Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü)
Ground	Gaziantep Stadium
Capacity	30,320
Chairman	Memik Yılmaz
Head coach	Burak Yılmaz
League	Süper Lig
2024–25	Süper Lig, 14th of 19
Website	www.gaziantepfk.org
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club based in Gaziantep. Founded in 1988, the club plays in the Süper Lig, the highest tier of Turkish football.

The club was founded as Sankospor in 1988 and competed at the amateur level until 1993. They competed between the TFF Third League and TFF First League until 2019, when they were promoted to the Süper Lig. During the 2020–21 season, the club reached the top of the standings in week 17, which they held for one week until being overtaken by Beşiktaş.

In February 2023, Gaziantep F.K. withdrew from the 2022–23 Süper Lig season following the devastating 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, which severely impacted the city of Gaziantep and the club's facilities.^[2] The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) accepted the withdrawal request and approved the club's rights to remain in the Süper Lig for the following season, exempting them from relegation despite missing the remainder of the campaign.^[3]

The club returned to competition for the 2023–24 Süper Lig season, playing their home matches at the Kalyon Stadium. They finished the 2023–24 campaign in 11th place, securing their position in the top flight.^[4] In the subsequent 2024–25 season, the team continued to compete in the Süper Lig under the management of Selçuk İnan, who had been appointed head coach in March 2024.^[5]

The club was founded in 1988 as Sankospor under the sponsorship of Sanko Holding, an industrial group based in Gaziantep.^[6] Initially competing in amateur leagues, the team turned professional and entered the TFF Third League in 1993. They achieved promotion to the TFF First League (then known as the 2. Lig) after winning their group in the 1996–97 season.^[7]

In 1999, the club's name was changed to Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor as it came under the administration of the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality. The team spent several decades fluctuating between the second and third tiers of Turkish football. A significant achievement during this era was winning the TFF Second League Group C title in the 2004–05 season, scoring a record 93 goals.^[8]

In June 2017, the club underwent a major restructuring and rebranding, changing its name to Gazişehir Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü.^[9] Under the presidency of Adil Sani Konukoğlu, the club aimed for the top flight. After losing the play-off final in the 2017–18 season, they secured promotion to the Süper Lig the following year by defeating Hatayspor in the 2018–19 play-off final.^[10] Following this promotion, the club adopted its current name, Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü (Gaziantep FK), in October 2019 to represent the entire city more broadly.

In February 2023, Gaziantep F.K. withdrew from all competitions for the remainder of the 2022–23 season following the devastating 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, which severely affected the city of Gaziantep. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) accepted the withdrawal and guaranteed the club's place in the Süper Lig for the following season.^[11][12]

Following their withdrawal from the 2022–23 Süper Lig due to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, Gaziantep FK returned to competition for the 2023–24 season. The club finished the campaign in 11th place with 44 points, securing their status in the top flight under the management of Selçuk İnan, who had taken charge during the season.^[13]

In the 2024–25 season, the team struggled to replicate their previous stability, eventually finishing in 14th place. Selçuk İnan departed the club by mutual agreement in May 2025, following a tenure of approximately one and a half years.^[14]

Ahead of the 2025–26 season, the club appointed former Turkish international Burak Yılmaz as head coach in August 2025. Yılmaz's tenure saw a period of turbulence in December 2025 when he announced his resignation following a home defeat to Göztepe, only to be reinstated shortly thereafter.^[15] As of early 2026, Yılmaz remained in charge as the team competed in the middle of the Süper Lig table.^[16]

The earliest colors of Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü were blue and white, reflecting the club’s identity at its foundation in the lower divisions. In June 2017, following a decision by the club council, the official colors were altered to a white-red-black combination, which has remained the primary palette ever since.^[17]

The club’s crest was redesigned at the same time as the color change. The modern emblem incorporates stylized elements inspired by the region’s cultural heritage, especially the layered pattern reminiscent of baklava slices, a symbol closely associated with Gaziantep’s culinary tradition.²³ The use of red and black in the logo emphasizes dynamism and strength, while white provides contrast and visual balance.^{[18][19][18][19]}

The official colors are consistently featured across the team’s kits, merchandise, and branding. Red is the dominant primary color, often paired with black for trim and secondary elements, and white for accents in both home and away jerseys. These colors are intended to reflect the club’s ambition and the historical roots of Gaziantep’s sporting culture.

Gaziantep FK plays its home matches at the Gaziantep Stadium, a multi-purpose venue located in the Şehitkamil district of Gaziantep.^[20] The stadium has a seating capacity of approximately 33,502 spectators and features a hybrid grass surface.^[21] The club previously played at the Kamil Ocak Stadium, which served as the city's primary football venue from 1988 until January 2017. Following the opening of the new stadium, the Kamil Ocak Stadium was demolished in 2018.^[22] Between 2000 and 2005, during its time as Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor, the team also utilized the smaller GASKİ Stadium.

The new stadium was known as the Gaziantep Stadium for sponsorship reasons from its opening in 2017 until the end of the 2023–24 season. In August 2024, following the expiration of the sponsorship deal with Kalyon and a brief period without a title sponsor, the venue was renamed Gaziantep Stadium (Gaziantep Metropolitan Stadium) as part of a new agreement with the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality.^[23][24]

Following the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, which caused significant devastation in the region, Gaziantep FK withdrew from the remainder of the 2022–23 Süper Lig season. The stadium itself did not suffer irreparable structural failure, allowing the team to return to their home ground for the start of the 2023–24 season.^[25]

Although they share a similar name and colors, Gaziantep F.K. is a distinct entity from the historic club Gaziantepspor, which was dissolved in 2020. Gaziantep F.K. was originally founded in 1988 as Sankospor and later competed for many years as Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor (Gaziantep BB).^[26]

Following Gaziantepspor's financial collapse and subsequent relegation from the Süper Lig, Gaziantep BB emerged as the primary representative of the city in professional football. To appeal to the city's fanbase and fill the void left by the former club, the team underwent a series of rebranding efforts. In June 2017, the club changed its name to Gazişehir Gaziantep.^[27] Two years later, in October 2019, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) officially approved the club's request to change its name to Gaziantep Futbol Kulübü (Gaziantep F.K.).^[28]

Gaziantepspor, which had been the city's main club since 1969, officially ceased operations in July 2020 after declaring bankruptcy and withdrawing from the amateur leagues.^[29] While Gaziantep F.K. adopted the red and black colors associated with the city's footballing tradition, it has no legal connection to the dissolved club's debts or history.

Sankospor

• TFF Third League
  • Winner: 1996–97 (Group 3)

Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor

• TFF Second League
  • Winner: 2004–05 (Group C)

Gazişehir Gaziantep

• TFF First League
  • Play-off winners: 2018–19

The following is a list of seasons played by Gaziantep FK since its foundation in 1988. The club was founded as Sankospor (1988–1999), later becoming Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor (1999–2016), Gazişehir Gaziantep (2017–2019), and finally Gaziantep FK in 2019.^[30]

Season	League										Domestic Cup	Top goalscorer(s) (All competitions)	Ref
	Division	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Info
1988–93	During the 1988–93 season, Gaziantep FK competed at the amateur level.												[31]
1993–94	3. Lig	3rd	24	10	8	6	33	22	38		N/A.	N/A.	[31]
1994–95		9th	26	8	10	8	24	28	34				[31]
1995–96		3rd	26	15	7	4	51	22	52				[31]
1996–97		1st	34	27	4	3	66	15	85	Promoted			[31]
1997–98	2. Lig	4th	32	12	9	11	42	34	45		3R		[31]
1998–99		4th	32	14	10	8	48	42	52		3R		[31]
1999–00		3rd	32	16	13	3	58	26	61		1R		[31]
2000–01		5th	32	12	8	12	51	45	44	Relegated[a]	2R		[31]
2001–02	2. Lig B	2nd	32	19	7	6	66	28	64	Play-off - QF	3R		[31]
2002–03		2nd	32	20	4	8	51	26	64		2R		[31]
2003–04		4th	32	16	6	10	59	43	54		2R		[31]
2004–05		1st	32	22	7	3	90	43	73	Promoted	2R		[31]
2005–06	1. Lig	13th	34	12	5	17	47	52	41		2R		[31]
2006–07		10th	34	10	12	12	47	48	42		GS		[31]
2007–08		14th	34	9	12	13	53	51	39		2R		[31]
2008–09		6th	34	10	10	14	35	40	40		GS		[31]
2009–10		12th	34	11	8	15	31	38	41		2R		[31]
2010–11		3rd	32	16	9	7	43	26	57	Play-off - Final	QF	Serdar Deliktaş (16)	[31]
2011–12		14th	34	9	13	12	36	37	40		3R	Ramazan Altıntepe (8)	[31]
2012–13		13th	34	11	8	15	37	43	41		4R	Serdar Deliktaş (12)	[31]
2013–14		14th	36	10	11	15	30	47	41		4R	Serdar Deliktaş (13)	[31]
2014–15		13th	34	10	11	13	38	47	41		GS	Vagif Javadov (5)	[31]
2015–16		8th	34	11	15	8	38	33	48		3R	Nemanja Kojić (9)	[31]
2016–17		13th	34	9	10	15	37	46	37		3R	Ekigho Ehiosun (10)	[31]
2017–18		6th	34	15	8	11	57	38	53	Play-off - Final	3R	Pierre Webó (8)	[31]
2018–19		5th	34	17	8	9	60	31	59	Play-off Winners	3R	Rydell Poepon (11)	[31]
2019–20	Süper Lig	8th	34	11	13	10	49	50	46		R16	Olarenwaju Kayode (10)	[31][32]
2020–21		9th	40	15	13	12	59	51	58		R16	Alexandru Maxim (15)	[31][33]
2021–22		15th	38	12	10	16	48	56	46		QF	Alexandru Maxim (14)	[31][34]
2022–23		18th	36	6	7	23	31	72	25		QF[b]	João Figueiredo (7)	[35]
2023–24		11th	38	12	8	18	50	57	44		R16	Denis Drăguș (14)	[31][36]
2024–25		14th	36	12	9	15	45	50	45		GS	David Okereke (9)	[31][37]
2025–26		8th	20	6	7	7	27	34	25		GS	Mohamed Bayo (8)	[38]

• Süper Lig: 2019–
• TFF First League: 1997–2001, 2005–2019
• TFF Second League: 2001–2005
• TFF Third League: 1993–1997
• Turkish Regional Amateur League: 1988–1993

As of 3 February 2026^[39]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  ESP Luis Pérez 3 MF  CIV Drissa Camara 4 DF  TUR Arda Kızıldağ 5 MF  SEN Badou Ndiaye 6 MF  TUR Melih Kabasakal 8 MF  NGA Victor Gidado 9 FW  GUI Mohamed Bayo (on loan from Lille) 10 MF  POL Kacper Kozłowski 11 FW  SUI Christopher Lungoyi 14 DF  SUR Myenty Abena 16 FW  TUR Ali Mevran Ablak 17 MF  GAM Karamba Gassama

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 FW  ROU Deian Sorescu 20 GK  TUR Zafer Görgen (on loan from Çaykur Rizespor) 22 DF  COD Salem M'Bakata 23 DF  TUR Tayyip Talha Sanuç (on loan from Beşiktaş) 26 MF  TUR Ali Osman Kalın 30 DF  TUR Nazım Sangaré 32 FW  GER Yusuf Kabadayı (on loan from Augsburg) 44 MF  ROU Alexandru Maxim (captain) 61 MF  TUR Ogün Özçiçek 70 FW  ROU Denis Drăguș (on loan from Trabzonspor) 71 GK  TUR Mustafa Burak Bozan 77 DF  POR Kévin Rodrigues

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  TUR Halil Bağcı (at Silifke Belediye Spor until 30 June 2026) — GK  TUR Yusuf Delen (at Tokat Belediye Plevne Spor until 30 June 2026) — DF  TUR Onur Başyiğit (at Arnavutköy Belediyespor until 30 June 2026)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  TUR Mustafa Doğru (at Tokat Belediye Plevne Spor until 30 June 2026) — FW  TUR Mirza Cihan (at Sakaryaspor until 30 June 2026) — MF  CUW Juninho Bacuna (at FC Volendam until 30 June 2026)

Position	Name
President	Memik Yılmaz
Vice President	İbrahim Dicle
Vice President	Ferit Güney Dağdeviren
Vice President	Serhat Tümer
Vice President	Mehmet Taşdelen
General Secretary	Seçil Kömürcü
Finance and Financial Affairs Coordinator	İsmail İnal
Football Branch Manager	Halil Uğur
Foreign Relations Coordinator	İbrahim Açıkgöz
Public Institutions and Legal Coordinator	Erim Arıkan
Tartar Liaison Officer	Engin Ateşsönmez
TFF Relations Coordinator	Özgür Yılmaz
Infrastructure Coordinator	Ergün Tatar
Development and Investment Coordinator	İbrahim Altunova
Store Coordinator	Ömer Çakmak
Marketing Coordinator	Bülent İngeç
Wheelchair Basketball Team Coordinator	Aydın Çiloğlu
Stadium and Security Coordinator	Zeki Ormanlı
Infrastructure Facilities Coordinator	Halil Demir

Sources:^[40][41]

Position	Name
Head Coach	Burak Yılmaz
Assistant Coach	Volkan Kazak
Assistant Coach	Yiğit Can Taşkın
Assistant Coach	Erkan Ferin
Assistant Coach	Hüseyin Çayır
Athletic Performance Coach	Mustafa Aksoy
Athletic Performance Coach	Erdi Arslan
Analysis and Assistant Coach	Anıl Demirci
Analysis Coach	Tayfun Kayabaş
Goalkeeper Coach	Mehmet Bölükbaşı

Sources:^[42][43]

Gaziantep FK has experienced significant managerial turnover, particularly following its rebranding and promotion to the Süper Lig. In the 2024–2025 season, the club was managed by Selçuk İnan, who had been appointed in March 2024 to replace Marius Șumudică.^[44] İnan departed by mutual consent in May 2025 after 428 days in charge.^[45]

For the 2025–2026 season, the club initially hired İsmet Taşdemir in June 2025, signing him to a 1+1 year contract.^[46] However, Taşdemir's tenure was short-lived; he parted ways with the club on August 18, 2025, following defeats in the first two weeks of the season against Galatasaray and Konyaspor.^[47] He was replaced by Burak Yılmaz, who resigned on December 15, 2025, only to be re-appointed four days later on December 19, 2025, following talks with club president Memik Yılmaz.^[48][49]

Managers of Gaziantep FK (Foundation–Present)

Name	Nat	From	To
Bünyamin Süral		1994	1996
Şevket Kesler		1996	1999
Mehmet Şahan		1999	2001
Erol Azgın		2001	2004
Ali Güneş		2004	2005
Sedat Karabük		2005	2006
Suat Kaya		2006	2007
Bünyamin Süral		2007	2008
Suat Kaya		2008	2009
Cemal Gürsel Menteşe		2009	2010
Erol Azgın		2010	2011
Bünyamin Süral		2011	2012
Mehmet Şahan		2012	2013
Suat Kaya		2013	2013
Hasan Özer		2013	2014
Hakan Kutlu		2014	2015
Bayram Bektaş		2015	2016
Bülent Bölükbaşı		2016	2016
Metin Diyadin		2016	2017
Oğuz Çetin		2017	2017
Hüseyin Kalpar		2017	2017
Erkan Sözeri		2017	2018
Yalçın Koşukavak		2018	2018
Mehmet Altıparmak		2018	2019
Marius Șumudică		2019	2021
Ricardo Sá Pinto		2021	2021
Erol Bulut		2021	2023
Erdal Güneş		2023	2023
Marius Șumudică		2023	2024
Selçuk İnan		2024	2025
İsmet Taşdemir		2025	2025
Burak Yılmaz		2025	Present

The club has been led by various presidents since its foundation as Sankospor in 1988. The following is a list of presidents from the club's establishment, through its era as Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyespor (1999–2017), to its current identity as Gaziantep FK.^[50]

Name	From	To
Adil Sani Konukoğlu	1988	1992
Saip Konukoğlu	1992	-
Mehmet Erol Maraş	2004	2005
Saip Konukoğlu	2005	-
Ünsal Göksen	-	2014
Abdülkadir Gözegir	May 2014	November 2014
Osman Toprak	November 2014	June 2017
Adil Sani Konukoğlu	15 June 2017	12 September 2019
Mehmet Büyükekşi	12 September 2019	25 May 2021
Cevdet Akınal	25 May 2021	10 January 2023
Memik Yılmaz	10 January 2023	Present

Following the resignation of Cevdet Akınal in January 2023, Memik Yılmaz assumed the presidency.^[51] Yılmaz was officially elected as the club's chairman during the extraordinary general assembly held in June 2023 and was re-elected for another term on 13 June 2025.^[52][53] Under his leadership, the club navigated the aftermath of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes and continued to compete in the Süper Lig through the 2025–26 season.

• Official website
• Gaziantep FK at Turkish Football Federation