The President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC), Vessela Letcheva, held a meeting with the President of the Turkish Olympic Committee, Ahmet Gülüm. The conversation took place at the Olympic headquarters in Istanbul.
The two presidents discussed the good relations between the national committees, as well as cooperation between the two neighboring countries in sports. They also discussed opportunities for joint hosting of major competitions, development in the field of marketing and advertising, and opportunities for the exchange of experience between coaches and athletes.
Gülüm briefed Letcheva on Istanbul’s preparations to host the European Games in 2027. The Turkish metropolis also has ambitions to host the Summer Olympic Games. After the meeting, Lechova gave an interview to Sport TV, the country’s largest specialized television channel.
“Thanks for the warm welcome and friendly attitude that President Ahmet Gülüm showed to the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. We exchanged ideas on the development of our Olympic committees and I look forward to serious partnership in the coming years,” Letcheva said after the meeting. She wished Istanbul success in organizing the European Games, which are the biggest sporting event on the calendar of the European Olympic Committees.
Letcheva invited Gülüm to Bulgaria to discuss again the possibilities for joint initiatives. She also introduced him to and received his full support for the initiative of our leading snowboarders Malena Zamfirova and Tervel Zamfirov, who are campaigning to protect the giant slalom discipline, which is threatened with exclusion from the Olympic program.
Ahmet Gülüm was elected president of the Turkish Olympic Committee a few days before Vesela Lecheva – on March 15, 2025. The General Assembly was held in Istanbul, and Gülüm defeated the previous president, Prof. Yugum Erdener, with 185 votes to 150. Gülüm is a well-known Turkish volleyball player with a 23-year career in the sport, during which he captained the Galatasaray volleyball team and played for the Turkish national team in 158 matches.
