Epress.am News from Armenia
Several athletes and sports administrators, including Turkish football legend Hakan Şükür, will try to make it to the Parliament in the general elections on June 12, as the final lists were announced on Monday, reports the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
Şükür was nominated from the 3rd Region of Istanbul by the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, fourth on the list.
Best known for his long and successful spell at Galatasaray, Şükür tops the all-time scoring list in Turkish football leagues and national team. A move to the political stage was rumored for Şükür, who was also known for having close ties with religious leader Fethullah Gülen, since the forward’s retirement from football in 2008.
The 39-year-old player, who also played at Inter, Parma, Torino and Blackburn for short spells, is not the only athlete on AKP’s list, since Tolga Murat Balıkçı, a two-time World Champion in Disabled Bodybuilding, was nominated from the 2nd Region of İzmir, ninth on the list.