Kayserispor

Turkish football club Kayserispor's Emre Demir joins Barcelona

Barcelona purchased Emre Demir from Turkey's Yukatel Kayserispor for €2 million ($2.34 million) plus bonuses, the Catalan club said in a statement on Sept. 23. 

The 17-year-old will stay at the club until 2027, and his release fee has been set at €400 million ($470 million), according to the press release.

New stadiums testify to the death of Turkish football

Sports and politics have never been two separate issues, especially in a country such as Turkey. After 13 years of one-party rule, the influence of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Turkish sports is ever obvious.

Football, the most popular sport in the country - and the world - was of course the focus of the AKP's attention.