# Turkey Weightlifting Federation

Turkey Weightlifting Federation (Turkish: Türkiye Halter Federasyonu, THF) is the governing body for weightlifting in Turkey. It aims to govern, encourage and develop the sport for all throughout the country.

## History

THF has been established in 1956. First president of the THF was Haşim Ekener. THF is a member of the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF).
The federation organizes the national weightlifting events, and European and World championships hosted by Turkey.

## International participation
### Olympics

| Year | Host Country | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1924 | France | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | Netherlands | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | Japan | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | West Germany | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | Canada | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | United States | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | South Korea | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 | Spain | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | United States | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 | Australia | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | Greece | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 2008 | China | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | United Kingdom | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Brazil | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | Japan | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### World Championships

| Year | Host Country | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1989 | United Kingdom | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1991 | Germany | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | Australia | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 1994 | Turkey | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1995 | China | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1997 | Thailand | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1998 | Finland | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2001 | Turkey | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002 | Poland | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | Canada | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 2005 | Qatar | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) |
| 2006 | Dominican Republic | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 | Thailand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | South Korea | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2010 | Turkey | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2011 | France | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2013 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Kazakhstan | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | United States | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | United States | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) |
| 2018 | Turkmenistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Thailand | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | Uzbekistan | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### European Championships

| Year | Host Country | Rank | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1997 | Croatia | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 1998 | Germany | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1999 | Spain | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2000 | Bulgaria | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 2001 | Slovakia | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002 | Turkey | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 2003 | Greece | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 2004 | Ukraine | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| 2005 | Bulgaria | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 2006 | Poland | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) |
| 2007 | France | 11 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 2008 | Italy | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2009 | Romania | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2010 | Belarus | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2011 | Russia | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 2012 | Turkey | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2013 | Albania | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | Israel | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2015 | Georgia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2016 | Norway | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 | Croatia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| 2018 | Romania | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) | (suspended could not attend) |
| 2019 | Georgia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2021 | Russia | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022 | Albania | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 2023 | Armenia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |

## Notable weightlifters
### Men

* Naim Süleymanoğlu, triple Olympic, seven-times world and seven-times European champion
* Halil Mutlu, triple Olympic, five-times world and nine-times European champion
* Taner Sağır, Olympic, world and twice European champion
* Hafız Süleymanoğlu, world and triple European champion
* Fedail Güler, world and European champion
* Mete Binay, world champion
* Sedat Artuç, twice European champion
* Erol Bilgin, twice European champion
* Bünyamin Sezer, twice European champion
* Ekrem Celil, twice European champion
* Sunay Bulut, twice European champion
* Daniyar İsmayilov, twice European champion
* Muhammed Furkan Özbek, twice European champion
* Hurşit Atak, twice European
* İzzet İnce, European champion
* Semih Yağcı, European champion
* Hakan Yılmaz, European champion
* Ergün Batmaz, European champion

### Women

* Nurcan Taylan, Olympic, triple European champion
* Sibel Özkan, World, twice European champion
* Şaziye Erdoğan, World, twice European champion
* Aylin Daşdelen, four-times European champion
* Sibel Şimşek, four times European champion
* Şule Şahbaz, European champion
* Emine Bilgin, European champion
* Ayşegül Çoban, European champion
* Cansu Bektaş, European champion
* Nuray Güngör, European champion

## International championships hosted in Turkey

* 1994 World Weightlifting Championships, November 17–27,Istanbul
* 2001 World Weightlifting Championships, November 4–11, Ankara
* 2002 European Weightlifting Championships, Antalya
* 2010 World Weightlifting Championships, September 17–26, Antalya
* 2012 European Weightlifting Championships, April 9–15, Antalya
* Weightlifting at the 2013 Mediterranean Games, June 21–26, Mersin
* Weightlifting at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games, August 11–15, Konya