Fearful of their brutality on the field, they completed a new Olympic qualification round on August 1st. But in Turkey they are criticized by Islamists for their immodest clothing.
One more step to the quarter finals. On August 1, Turkish volleyball players beat the Dominican Republic 3:1 at the Olympic Games in Paris. they have yet to beat the Italians, who they face this Sunday, August 4. It is enough to further strengthen the reputation of Filenin Sultanları, the “Network Sultans”, as the public nicknames them and as they call themselves, already extremely popular. Some are even real stars. Star among them is 24-year-old forward Ebrar Caracourt, 1.96m tall with anger and energy, tattooed arms and tousled hair, alternately brown, platinum blonde or even candy pink.
National heroines
At the start of the competition, the five letters of his name were projected onto a leopard background in fluorescent yellow on the facade of the Pompidou Center in the heart of Paris. A tribute from Nike, her sponsor, and yet another mark of recognition for an athlete known for the ferocity of her game that comes off the court. The face of Mavi, one of Turkey’s biggest ready-to-wear brands, she became the subject of a mini-documentary produced by the brand and broadcast by a Turkish sports magazine. Socrates Dergi .
Like her, few female volleyball players have achieved considerable fame. In 2021, naturalized Turkish, Cuban striker Melissa Vargas, who also has a shaved head, thus received her identity card from President Erdogan himself. Regularly noted for his accuracy and stamina, he has a lot to do with the team’s success. Just like defenders Zehra Gunes or Eda Erdem were applauded for their masterful moves. In the video published on the Turkish delegation’s Instagram account after the victory against the Dominican Republic, it can be seen how the latter stops the ball a few millimeters from the line with the back of his hand. “There are no easy points,” reads the title of the post.
Their country, which rose to the first place in the world in volleyball, owes a lot to the unstoppable attacks and impenetrable defense of its volleyball players. In 2023, they won the European and Nations League titles. They especially defeated the French in the first round of this competition. Super headlines multiplied in the press. The Reds say they “martyred” the Blues when the latter “sunk” in the face of “overwhelming Turkey.”
National heroines and icons of freedom
However, the popularity of the net sultans is not only due to their game, Turkish volleyball players have gained a place for themselves in public debates due to the many criticisms addressed to them by conservatives. From schools to work to the cultural scene, the entire country is experiencing a resurgence of nationalism and Islamism, largely fueled by the government in power. A government that dreams more about mothers of large families than high-level athletes who run, jump, throw and scream in shorts and capes, with shaved heads or long braided hair.
The attack by influential theologian Ihsan Senojak came as the volleyball players had just beaten China, then the reigning world champions, at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “Daughters of Islam, you are not the sultans of playgrounds, but of faith, chastity and morality,” she wrote on Twitter. Statements that found an undeniable resonance among conservative Turks, but provoked the anger of secularists and liberals and provoked a barrage of reactions from the opposition press. The scandal worsened because at the same time Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, which aims to protect women from sexist and sexual violence.
The posture of a warrior
These online homophobic attacks have not been without concrete consequences. In 2023, players from the national team Malatya in the center of the country were violently attacked after a match in the very conservative southern city of Adana. Target of insults and throwing of bottles, several athletes were injured. In response to this violence, like others, the network sultans never stopped demanding their freedom. To play volleyball, but also to live as they want. Post-Tokyo Shaved head striker Ebrar Caracourt, who was specifically targeted because she is a lesbian. he published photos with his partner on the Internet, multiplying the sarcastic reactions and provocations on the Internet. Like his teammates, who keep posting photos of him celebrating their scores.
The mouths open in a triumphant cry, the muscles swell, the hair flies around them… These athletes depict conquering and militant femininity in the eyes of the Turks. They take up space, both on the ground and in the mind. The “daughters of Ataturk,” as some call them in honor of the founder of the secular Republic of Turkey, are the rare ones who can maintain some idea of women’s freedom. And, no doubt, inspire those who watch them.
Source: Le Figaro
