page_title: Türk Telekom Stadium
section_title: Groundbreaking ceremony
hierarchical_section_title: Türk Telekom Stadium / Aslantepe / Groundbreaking ceremony
caption_attribution_description: Türkçe: Türk Telekom Arena
context_page_description: Türk Telekom Stadium is a football stadium serving as the home ground of the Süper Lig club Galatasaray S.K.. It is located in the Seyrantepe quarter of the Sarıyer district, on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey. The all-seater stadium has the capacity to host 52,223 spectators during football games. The stadium is part of the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex.
  Türk Telekom Stadium was the first stadium in Turkey that met the UEFA Euro 2016 requirements during the country's bid to host the European Championship. In 2011, Türk Telekom Stadium was one of the six nominees for the Venue of the Year and New Venue categories of the Stadium Business Awards. Galatasaray SK won the Süper Lig in the first season at Türk Telekom Stadium. Türk Telekom Stadium and Galatasaray SK were mentioned in the first chapter of Tom Clancy's 2012 novel Threat Vector.
context_section_description: As of 13 December 2007, the construction has officially started after a glitzy reception where the club's board, some players, the minister of sports for Turkey and many other ministers attended. In the ceremony, then President Özhan Canaydın stated, in summary: "The Turkish World of Sports will gain another big facility with the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex and we've gathered here to celebrate its groundbreaking ceremony. This work, which will be a value add to Istanbul and Turkey along with Turkish Sports, will also serve as an honorable monument that will signify the advanced position Turkish Sports has achieved and the phases it has passed through."
caption: Site preparation (March 2006)
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