Athlete Recep Arslan from Van (Wan) continues the sports career he began at a young age in Germany. Arslan, who was forced to leave his country due to the obstacles he faced in Turkey, spoke to ANF about his struggle to pursue sports with his Kurdish identity and his experiences in Europe.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Recep Arslan, I am from Van (Wan). I have been doing athletics since 2010. I started sports at a young age together with my brother.
Your athletics journey, which began in Van, now continues in Germany. What was the determining factor in your decision not to continue athletics in Turkey?
During the period I was doing sports in Turkey, I achieved rankings in several national championships, but I was not selected for the national team. My brother, Cumali Arslan, also achieved success, yet he was never accepted into the national team either. In fact, the reason we were not accepted into the national team was our Kurdish identity. This situation inevitably disturbed the Turkish Athletics Federation. Although the majority in athletics are Kurdish, no one can openly foreground their identity. The federation exerts significant pressure on athletes, and for this reason, my brother and I had to go to Germany in order to compete freely with our identity.
How did your journey to Germany begin?
We set out from Turkey. First, we arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From there, we walked for 12 days to reach Germany, and the only thing on my mind was to be able to do sports with our identity. Shortly after arriving in Germany, I began training with my brother and started competing. By winning the Freiburg Marathon, Bremen Marathon, Karlsruhe Marathon, and many others, I made my Kurdish identity and the name of Kurdistan known in every arena.
On the other hand, my brother also achieved many successes in Germany. Seeing these achievements, the Turkish Athletics Federation warned Kurdish athletes and advised them that no one should have contact with us.
Was the federation concerned that other athletes might be influenced by you?
Yes, because my brother and I competed with our Kurdish identity, Kurdish athletes in Turkey began to embrace their identity more strongly. This situation was affecting the federation’s nationalist approach. As a result, there are many young Kurds from Northern Kurdistan (Bakur) registered with the Athletics Federation.
How have Kurdish institutions in Europe responded to your achievements?
As young athletes from Northern Kurdistan, we want to achieve greater success, but unfortunately, I cannot say that we have received sufficient support from Kurdish institutions in Europe. In fact, I must say with regret that there has been a reluctance to support us. No one supported us except Remzi Kartal and the former co-chairs of the Congress of Democratic Kurdish Societies in Europe (KCDK-E). What is even more upsetting is that some Turkish clubs in Germany wanted to sponsor us. Of course, we did not accept this because our only aim is to represent our people. I hope that Kurdish authorities in Europe will support all Kurdish athletes.
The Hannover Marathon is scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday 12 April. What stage are your preparations at?
I have been preparing for the major Hannover Marathon for about three months. I have been working for this race for a long time, and by achieving an important result here, I will bring my identity as a Kurdish athlete to the forefront. My brother, Cumali Arslan, also achieved significant success by finishing second in the 10-kilometer race at the England Championship on 28 March. I will also aim to become the champion in the Hannover Marathon and dedicate this success to my people.
There are many more championships ahead of us, and I will continue to take part in these competitions with the honor of representing Kurdistan and our people more strongly.
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