Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks about sprinter Ramil Guliyev

Baku. 13 November. REPORT.AZ/ Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he is not against nationalization of sports.

Report informs, Turkish leader hosted by the NTV Spor and said such practice is used all over the world. He said it is not useful to regard nationalization with negativity: “In England, France foreigners play. I wish they were from our roots and grown up in our land. But if that is impossible and a reality of the world, it won’t be useful to see it with negativity.”

Erdoğan said weightlifters born in Bulgaria such as Halil Mutlu and Naim Süleymanoğlu made positive impact on Turkish sport. He also showed as an example Azerbaijani athlete Ramil Guliyev who became the world champion in 200-meter race at the 2017 World Championships in London: “Of course, the person who accepts the Turkish citizenship must be strong, not weak. Naim Süleymanoğlu, Halil Mutlu...They came, what happened? The took Turkey one step ahead in weightlifting. They made a change. In the history of our athletics most recently our Azerbaijani brother Ramil Guliyev became a champion. Our Ethiopian daughter brought championship for us. At the same time, they take others ahead.”

Ramil Guliyev who became world champion in the Turkish team, earlier said he was very surprised when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the first person who congratulated him following the competition.