August 24 marks the anniversary of the death of Metin Kurt, one of the important footballers of Galatasaray. Kurt was a communist, footballer and trade unionist.
As a socialist footballer and a pioneering trade unionist who fought for the rights of sports workers, Metin Kurt argued that football was not merely a game played on the pitch, but also a field of class struggle.
In 1976, he went on strike together with his Galatasaray teammates over unpaid bonuses. He fought for the organisation and unionisation of footballers for many years and became the founding president of the Revolutionary Sports Workers’ Union. As a member of the Communist Party of Turkey, he also continued his political struggle.
Metin Kurt also had a close relationship with TekYumruk, Galatasaray’s anti-fascist supporters’ group.