# Turkish national wrestling team Balkan Championship > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-national-wrestling-team-balkan-championship > Updated: 2026-10-17T08:25:36.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 4. The Turkish national wrestling teams, comprising 250 athletes and technical staff across under-15, under-17, and under-20 categories, traveled to Koprivnica, Croatia, to compete in the 2026 Balkan Championship. Following the competition, which took place from September 29 to October 4, the Turkish delegation secured multiple medals. Notable achievements included four gold medals won by M. Hasan Hüseyin Çelik, M. Abdülkadir Çelik, Hamza Özden, and Serhat Abay, as well as a gold medal by İbrahim Mert Eren in the U17 Greco-Roman 110 kg category. Two bronze medals were also earned by Derviş Mehmet Bozkurt and Yaren Sert. The U20 and U17 Greco-Roman national teams both secured championship titles. Additional successes were reported from regional clubs. Athletes from the Denizli region contributed four gold and two bronze medals. Wrestlers from Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Belediyespor secured four medals: a gold by Rüstem Öztürk in the U17 80kg category, two silvers by Taha Öztürk and Hamza Yakup Oran in the same category, and a silver by Beytullah Burak Bilgen in the U20 category. During a meeting with Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba, athletes stated they were motivated by the plight of civilians in Palestine when competing against Israeli opponents. Further individual success was noted by Mustafa Kerem Karaköse of Karatay Belediyespor, who won the gold medal in the U17 Greco-Roman 51 kg category. Karaköse defeated Moldova’s Victor Nicoara 6-5 in the final and Idan Davodzade of Israel 9-1 in the semifinals. He is coached by his father, former national wrestler Onur Karaköse. ## Claims - Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba congratulated the wrestlers for their achievements. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Rüstem Öztürk won the gold medal in the U17 80kg category at the Balkan Wrestling Championship. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Taha Öztürk won a silver medal in the U17 category. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Hamza Yakup Oran won a silver medal in the U17 category. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Beytullah Burak Bilgen won a silver medal in the U20 category. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Balkan Wrestling Championship was held in Koprivnica, Croatia. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Şahin Biba stated that the athletes' victories against Israeli opponents brought relief regarding the suffering in Palestine. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Belediyespor athletes won a total of four medals. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-17: Mustafa Kerem Karaköse wins Balkan wrestling championship Turkish wrestler Mustafa Kerem Karaköse won the gold medal in the 51 kg Greco-Roman category at the U17 Balkan Championship in Croatia. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mustafa-kerem-karakse-wins-balkan-wrestling-championship ### 2026-10-09: Bursa wrestlers win four medals at Balkan Wrestling Championship Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Belediyespor wrestlers won four medals, including one gold, at the Balkan Wrestling Championship in Croatia. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bursa-wrestlers-win-four-medals-at-balkan-wrestling-championship ### 2026-10-05: Turkish wrestlers win multiple medals at Balkan Championship Turkish wrestlers secured multiple gold and bronze medals at the Balkan Wrestling Championship in Koprivnica, Croatia, including individual titles for athletes from Denizli and Manisa. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-wrestlers-win-multiple-medals-at-balkan-championship ### 2026-09-28: Turkish national wrestling teams depart for Balkan Championship Turkish national wrestling teams, including youth athletes like Bayram Can Bal, have departed for the 2026 Balkan Championship in Koprivnica, Croatia, aiming for gold medals across multiple categories. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-national-wrestling-teams-depart-for-balkan-championship --- Cite as: Turkish national wrestling team Balkan Championship. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-national-wrestling-team-balkan-championship