ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdish football club Amedspor on Saturday secured a historic promotion to the Turkish top flight to the delight of millions of Kurds worldwide who have passionately supported the team for years.

Amedspor was able to accomplish the monumental achievement after drawing Igdir FK 3-3 in an away game in the last fixture of the TFF First League – the second tier league in the Turkish football system.

Saturday’s result brought Amedspor’s total season points to 74, securing them the second place in the league and an automatic promotion to the Super Lig for the first time in the club’s history.

As soon as the final whistle was blown, celebrations erupted among the players on the pitch and Kurds around the world.

Amedspor, established in 1972, has for years been the center of several controversies in Turkey. In 2014, the team decided to change its name from Diyarbakir Buyuksehir Belediyespor to Amedspor, embracing its Kurdish identity by adopting Diyarbakir’s Kurdish name Amed.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) opposed the change and imposed a fine on the Kurdish club.

Amedspor’s players and supporters have been frequently subjected to racist attacks and physical violence from both the fans and players of opposite teams during away matches since; something the TFF has repeatedly penalized Amedspor for, imposing financial penalties on the team and arresting supporters for waving Kurdish flags and chanting Kurdish chants.

In 2016, the TFF imposed a ban on Amedspor, prohibiting the team’s supporters from attending away matches, citing security concerns. The ban stood for seven years before finally being lifted in 2023.

In a May 2023 address to supporters in Bursa, Umit Ozdag, head of the ultranationalist Victory Party, declared that a club named Amedspor would not be allowed to rise to Turkey’s top football leagues.

“I give you my word: there will be no team called Amedspor competing in Turkish leagues. Diyarbakirspor will take its place in the league, but we will not allow Amedspor,” Ozdag said at the time.

In April 2024, Amedspor was crowned champion of the TFF Second League, getting promoted to the First League for the first time in its history. On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Amedspor completed the fairytale by reaching the Turkish Super Lig.