The so-called "main statute" of Turkey's e-sports federation, prepared by the sports federation, was published in the Official Gazette on 18 November 2022 and entered into force on the same day. This main statute falls under the scope of:
- the Law on Sports Clubs and Sports Federations No. 7405 dated 22 April 2022; and
- the Regulation on Procedures and Principles on the Work of Independent Sports Federations No. 28358 dated 19 July 2012.
The main statute determines the general assembly, board of directors, supervisory board, disciplinary board and other boards of the federation, sports clubs operating in the field of e-sports and other related organisations, and the procedures and principles that must be followed in all activities carried out by the federation.
The main statute regulates:
- the executive bodies constituting the federation's administrative structure;
- their duties and powers; and
- the qualifications and procedure of their election.
The prominent duties and powers of the federation set out under the main statute are to:
- make all types of arrangements;
- produce projects;
- take and implement decisions in order to ensure the spread and development of sports (e-sports) around the country;
- programme and control the implementation of domestic and international activities related to e-sports in Turkey and abroad;
- organise and to ensure the continuity of organised competitions within the country;
- assign referees, representatives and observers; and
- give permission to persons and organisations for private competitions, private seminars and courses – after they fulfil necessary conditions.
In addition, within the scope of the activities of the federation, the main statute regulates that the federation's board of directors is exclusively authorised to broadcast, transmit, organise and schedule all the races related to this sport via television, radio, internet and all kinds of technical devices or similar means, within the borders of Turkey.
The main statute regulates that sports clubs operating in sports branches affiliated with the federation and other sports clubs, as well as sports branches and sports joint-stock companies, will be affiliated with the federation in matters falling under the jurisdiction of the federation. According to the regulation, sports clubs, provincial directorates and sports joint-stock companies will be recorded and registered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The last important issue in the main statute is the provision saying that the registrations of certain sports joint-stock companies (ie, companies that do not participate in the sports branch activities they undertake to participate in for three consecutive years without permission or excuse) will be cancelled by the relevant sports federation via the Ministry's information system. According to the main statute, these sports joint-stock companies whose registrations have been cancelled will not be able to participate in the competitions and will not be presented in the federation's general assembly.
With this regulation introduced for the e-sports branch, which has found its place within large-scale organisations in Turkey, the details and boundaries of the federation's powers and duties have been determined. Thus, the federation has gained an independent structure.
For further information on this topic please contact Burak Özdağıstanli, Bensu Özdemir or Ebru Gümüş at Özdağıstanli Ekici Attorney Partnership by telephone (+90 216 230 07 48) or email ([email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]). The Özdağıstanli Ekici Attorney Partnership website can be accessed at www.ozdagistanliekici.com.