KÜHEYLAN HUKUK
Establishing a Sports Club: Number of Founders, Documents, Regulations and Registration Process According to Law No. 7405. The Sports Clubs and Sports Federations Law and the Sports Clubs and Sports Joint Stock Companies Registration Regulation have been updated as of 2026.
A sports club is established by at least seven real or legal persons. The establishment notification and statute are submitted to the provincial directorate of Youth and Sports where the club will be established; The file is examined within sixty days, and if there are any deficiencies, the founder is given a period of sixty days to complete it. The club that is deemed suitable is registered in the sports clubs registry and acquires legal personality upon registration. After this stage, the sport in which the club can compete is determined by a separate registration with the relevant federation. The guide describes the founding conditions, documents, mandatory content of the statute, post-registration obligations and persons who cannot take part in management.
1. What is a Sports Club legally?
According to the Law on Sports Clubs and Sports Federations No. 7405, a sports club is a private law legal entity registered with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in order to participate in the activities of the Ministry and sports federations (Art. 2). The provisions of the Turkish Civil Code and the Law on Associations apply to sports clubs on matters for which there is no provision in the law (Art. 25); The formation, meeting and decisions of the general assembly, board of directors and audit board are also subject to these laws (Art. 7).
Sports club and sports joint stock company should be distinguished from each other. Sports joint stock company is a joint stock company established in accordance with the Turkish Commercial Code and registered with the Ministry to engage in sports activities; This guide only addresses the establishment of a sports club.
2. Who Can Install It, How Many People Are Required?
Sports clubs are established by at least seven real or legal persons for the purpose of participating in sports activities (Article 3/1). There is no separate age requirement for founders in the regulation; However, active capacity is required for membership. Legal entity founders submit the document showing their title and headquarters and the decision of the authorized body; A residence permit document is required for foreign founders.
For legal entity founders, title and headquarters document and the authorized body's decision to join the organization,
If the club is established within a public institution or educational institution, a letter of permission from the relevant institution,
Identity and contact information of the founding members.
The application is made to the provincial directorate of Youth and Sports where the club will be established (Regulation Art. 5).
The law requires that the club's name, purpose, income sources, membership conditions, organs and temporary board of directors be included in the statute (Art. 3/5). The Regulation expands this framework; The charter should also include the headquarters, list of founders, color and emblem, reasons for acceptance and rejection of membership, the composition and powers of the general assembly, election and qualifications of the management and audit boards, budget, borrowing, internal audit, amendment to the statute and provisions for termination and liquidation (Regulation Art. 7).
Application Establishment notification is made to the provincial directorate with the statute and documents.
Deficiency notification The founder is notified immediately; must be resolved within sixty days at the latest from the notification
If found suitable The club is registered in the sports clubs registry and a legal entity is acquired through registration (Art. 3/4).
With its decision dated 17.06.2025 and numbered E.2022/85, K.2025/131, the Constitutional Court annulled the phrase "and acquires legal personality with this registration" in Article 3/4. The cancellation provision will enter into force on 02.01.2027, nine months after the decision is published in the Official Gazette. Until this date, the rule of gaining legal personality through registration continues to apply. The moment at which the club will acquire legal personality after the effective date depends on the regulation to be made by the legislator; For this reason, the current text should be checked separately for establishment applications approaching the beginning of 2027.
Registration of a sports branch: In order to participate in activities in a sports branch, the club must also be registered with the federation to which that branch is affiliated (Art. 4). The application method and documents are determined in the federation instructions.
Organ notification: Within thirty days after the general assembly election, the management, audit and other board members, if any, and the supporting documents are notified to the provincial directorate (Art. 5/3).
Membership registration: Membership applications are decided by the board of directors within thirty days and accepted members are recorded in the book (Art. 6).
Declaration: Clubs submit a declaration showing their income and expense results, profit-loss and balance sheet accounts to the Ministry within three months from the end of the accounting period (Art. 13/4).
Payment and collection: Payments and collections on behalf of the club must be made through banks or financial institutions; Otherwise, the existence of the transaction may not be proven (Art. 20/9).
Club management, auditing, disciplinary and other board memberships of those who are sentenced to one year or more in prison for a crime committed intentionally and those who are convicted of embezzlement, extortion, bribery, theft, fraud, forgery, breach of trust, smuggling, drug dealing, match-fixing or illegal betting based on incentive bonuses and sports competitions automatically terminate on the date the verdict becomes final (Art. 5/4). The same result is foreseen for those who have been sentenced to deprivation of rights for one year at a time or two years in total in the last five years (Art. 5/5). These persons cannot serve in bodies other than the general assembly (Art. 5/6).
A group of entrepreneurs wants to establish a football and basketball academy for young people in a district. Seven founders were determined, the charter was prepared based on a sample text found on the internet and an application was made. One of the founders has a past conviction for breach of trust.
Even if the number of founders has reached the minimum number required by law, it is not legally possible for a person with a final conviction to be elected to the management or supervisory body of the club; If this person takes part in the organs, his duty will automatically end. The temporary board of directors list must be created from the beginning, excluding this person. A ready-made sample statute may lead to a deficiency notice and an additional period of sixty days. After registration, the club cannot participate in competitions unless separate federation registration is made for both sports branches.
Is minimum capital required to establish a sports club?
The law does not stipulate minimum capital for the sports club. The minimum capital requirement in certain leagues is a separate regulation regarding sports joint stock companies (Art. 14/3).
Can the same club operate in more than one sport?
Yes. The club can operate in any sport it wishes; However, each branch must be registered with the relevant federation. Clubs operating in a maximum of two sports branches and in all categories of the selected branch are called specialized sports clubs.
What happens if the club does not operate?
A club that does not participate in any of its activities for three consecutive years may be banned from participating; Failure to hold the ordinary general assembly twice in a row automatically terminates the club (Art. 9).
Copying the statute from a ready-made example and not adapting it to the actual field of activity of the club.
Not checking the prohibition status of the founder and board candidates within the scope of Article 5.
Not to register the sport branch separately with the federation after registration.
Not making the thirty-day body notification and general assemblies within the period.
Although the establishment of a sports club may seem like a simple registration application, it is a technical process in terms of the content of the statute, the nature of the founder and body members, and post-registration notification obligations. A deficiency at the establishment stage may lead to a months-long correction process or the subsequent collapse of the club's organs.
Küheylan Law Firm; It provides legal support on the preparation of sports club establishment files, regulation writing, registration and federation processes, general assembly and organ disputes and the responsibility of club managers.
Important Legal Notice: The legal explanations contained in this guide have been prepared by Küheylan Law Firm for general information purposes and do not constitute legal advice. In sports law, federation instructions change frequently, objection and application periods are short; Since each file has its own unique conditions, it is recommended to get support from a lawyer before taking action. © 2026 Küheylan Law Firm. All rights reserved.
KÜHEYLAN HUKUK