# Fatma Kara

Fatma Kara Şahinbaş (born Fatma Kara; 15 June 1991) is a Turkish women's football midfielder, who plays in Turkish Women's Football Super League for Fenerbahçe. She is a member of the Turkish national team.

## Early life

Fatma Kara was born in Herten district of Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on June 15, 1991. Her father Hasan Kara is a Turkish immigrant. Her parents, initially, did not allow her to play football. The father of her German schoolmate, however, succeeded to convince the parents. At the age of nine, Kara entered the local football club JK SpVgg. Herten.
Her three-year younger sister Ayşe Kara is also a footballer, who follows her footsteps.

## Club career

Fatma Kara played in Germany for the hometown club 1. FFC Recklinghausen in the German Regionalliga West. In the 2008–09 season, she moved to SG Lütgend Dortmund upon an offer to accomplish her high school education there. The next season, she joined TuS Harpen.
After her graduation, she moved to Turkey, and signed for Trabzonspor. She scored nine goals in 22 matches she appeared with Trabzonspor. After playing one season, the women's side of the club dissolved, and she transferred to the rival club Trabzon İdmanocağı in the 2010–11 season. In the two seasons with Trabzon İdmanocağı, Kara netted 10 goals in 40 appearances.
On January 10, 2014, Kara was transferred by the Istanbul-based club Ataşehir Belediyespor.
After four seasons by Ataşehir Belediyespor, she transferred to Beşiktaş J.K. in the 2017–18 season.
In May 2018, Kara signed with the Reykjavík-based club HK/Víkingur of the Icelandic women's league Úrvalsdeild kvenna. She scored two goals in 17 matches of the 2018 season for her team. In November 2019, Kara signed with ÍBV. After one season in Vestmannaeyjar, Kara returned to her initial club 1. FFC Recklinghausen 2003 in the German Frauen-Regionalliga West, for which she had played until 2009.
Mid November 2021, she returned to Turkey, and joined the newly re-established and in the Super League entered club Fenerbahçe. After scoring 14 goals in 67 matches in three seasons, she transferred in the 2024–25 Super League season to Beylerbeyi.

## Internationa career

In 2007 still living in Germany, she was called up for the Turkey girls' U-17 national team, and made her debut in the friendly match against the Azeri team on May 27. Until October 2007, she capped ten times in the youth national team, and participated also at the 2008 UEFA Women's U-17 Championship qualification round matches.
Fatma Kara debuted in the Turkey U-19 national team in the friendly match against Maceonian juniors on September 16, 2007. She capped 32 times until April 2010, and played in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 qualification matches of UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.
Kara appeared for the first time in the women's national team playing against Azerbaijan team in the UEFA Support International Tournament on May 11, 2009. She also took part in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 5 and UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying – Group 2 matches. As of end September 2014, she capped 25 times in the national team scoring 4 goals.

## International goals

| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 13 May 2009 | Poladi Stadium, Rustavi, Georgia | Georgia | 0–4 | 0–4 | UEFA Women's Support International Tournament |
| 2. | 7 May 2014 | Spartak Stadium, Mogilev, Belarus | Belarus | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 19 June 2014 | Stadion pod Malim brdom, Petrovac, Montenegro | Montenegro | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 4. | 17 September 2014 | Minareliçavuş Spor Tesisleri, Bursa, Turkey | Belarus | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 5. | 8 October 2019 | Kocaeli Stadium, İzmit, Turkey | Slovenia | 1–6 | 1–6 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |

## Career statistics

As of 22 September 2024
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Continental | Continental | National | National | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1. FFC Recklinghausen | 2007–09 | Verbandsliga Westfalen | 11 | 5 | – | – | 32 | 13 | 43 | 18 |
| SG Lütgendortmund | 2009–10 | Frauen-Regionalliga | 12 | 5 | – | – | 5 | 4 | 17 | 9 |
| TuS Harpen | 2009–10 | Frauen-Regionalliga | 7 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 2 | 22 | 2 |
| Trabzonspor | 2010–11 | First League | 22 | 9 | – | – | 8 | 0 | 30 | 9 |
| Trabzon İdmanocağı | 2011–12 | First League | 22 | 6 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 22 | 6 |
| Trabzon İdmanocağı | 2012–13 | First League | 18 | 4 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
| Trabzon İdmanocağı | 2013–14 | First League | 8 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Trabzon İdmanocağı | Total | Total | 48 | 10 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 48 | 10 |
| Ataşehir Belediyespor | 2013–14 | First League | 9 | 12 | – | – | 6 | 3 | 15 | 15 |
| Ataşehir Belediyespor | 2014–15 | First League | 17 | 8 | – | – | 5 | 0 | 22 | 8 |
| Ataşehir Belediyespor | 2015–16 | First League | 13 | 4 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| Ataşehir Belediyespor | 2016–17 | First League | 24 | 4 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 24 | 4 |
| Ataşehir Belediyespor | Total | Total | 63 | 28 | – | – | 11 | 3 | 74 | 31 |
| Beşiktaş | 2017–18 | First League | 17 | 5 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 19 | 5 |
| HK/Víkingur | 2018 | Úrvalsdeild kvenna | 17 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| HK/Víkingur | 2019 | Úrvalsdeild kvenna | 17 | 1 | – | – | 10 | 1 | 27 | 2 |
| HK/Víkingur | Total | Total | 34 | 3 | – | – | 12 | 1 | 46 | 4 |
| ÍBV | 2020 | Úrvalsdeild kvenna | 16 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 18 | 2 |
| 1. FFC Recklinghausen | 2020–21 | Frauen-Regionalliga | 2 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2021–22 | Super League | 22 | 9 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 22 | 9 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2022–23 | Super League | 16 | 3 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2023–24 | Super League | 29 | 2 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| Fenerbahçe | Total | Total | 67 | 14 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 57 | 14 |
| Beylerbeyi | 2024–25 | Super League | 3 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 302 | 81 | – | – | 87 | 23 | 389 | 104 |

## Honors
### Verbandsliga Westfalen
   ### 1. FFC Recklinghausen

       Winners (1): 2008–09

### Turkish First league
   ### Ataşehir

       Runners-up (3): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16

   ### Beşiktaş

       Runners-up (1): 2017–18

### Turkish Super league
   ### Fenerbahçe

       Runners-up (2): 2021–22, 2023-23
       Third places!! (1): 2023–24