BIRTH OF THE TURKISH FOOTBALL FEDERATION

Following the formation of the Union of Turkish Training Associations, being Turkey's first sports authority, the Turkish Football Federation was established under the name "Futbol Hey'et-i Müttehidesi" at a meeting held in the meeting hall of Letafet Apartment House in ?ehzadeba?? in 1923, and Yusuf Ziya Öni? was elected first President. Following the Federation's establishment, Turkey applied to FIFA for membership and became FIFA's 26^th member on 21 May 1923.

As a FIFA member, the Turkish National Team played their first international match against Romania at the Istanbul Taksim Stadium on 26 October 1923, only three days before the Republic of Turkey was declared. The match ended with a 2-2 draw. Later, Billy Hunter of Scotland was hired to prepare the Turkish National Team for the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. Hunter was the first coach to introduce Turkish footballers to modern football and train them systematically.

The match played and lost 5-2 against Czechoslovakia during the 1924 Paris Olympic Games was Turkey's first official match abroad.

During that period up until 1936, the first Turkish Championship was held in Ankara, with Harbiye winning the title. The first Turkish referee who officiated the USSR-Turkey match in 1924 at the request of FIFA was Hamdi Emin Çap. The first referee and coaching courses were also opened and the initial away matches under the National League were played in the same period.

Along with the revocation of the Turkish Sports Agency in 1938 and placement of Turkish sports under the rule of the General Directorate of Physical Training, the state started to govern football.