Recep Kara
 Recep Kara in 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 25 May 1982 Ünye, Ordu Province, Turkey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Turkey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Freestyle wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Sancaktepe Belediyespor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | İlhami Topaloğlu İsmail Yıldırım | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Recep Kara (born 25 May 1982) is a Turkish freestyle wrestler and oil wrestling champion. In freestyle wrestling, he won the bronze medal in the men's 120 kg event at the 2009 European Wrestling Championships. He is also a four-time winner of the Kırkpınar oil wrestling festival, having taken the title in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2016.[1][2][3]
Career
Kara was born in Ünye in Ordu Province.[2] He began wrestling in 1993 in Samsun and later moved to Ankara, where he competed for TEDAŞ Spor Kulübü and then ASKİ.[4]
At age-group level, he won the gold medal at the 2002 European Junior Championships in Tirana in the 120 kg freestyle division.[1] He later won silver at the 2003 Military World Championships and at the 2007 Military World Games.[1]
Kara competed internationally in freestyle wrestling in the heavyweight divisions. At the 2006 World Wrestling Championships, he finished fifth in the men's 120 kg category.[1] His biggest senior international result came at the 2009 European Wrestling Championships in Vilnius, where he won the bronze medal at 120 kg.[1]
He also had strong results in international invitational events, winning the Yasar Dogu Tournament in 2005 and 2009 and taking silver in 2007.[1]
Alongside his mat career, Kara became one of Turkey's most successful oil wrestlers. He won the Kırkpınar oil wrestling festival for the first time in 2004, then added further titles in 2007, 2008 and 2016.[2][5] The Edirne Governorate's report on the 2016 final described that victory as his fourth Kırkpınar title.[5]
Kara continued to compete in oil wrestling in later years and remained one of the notable active başpehlivan wrestlers in Turkey.[3]
In 2025, Kara appeared as a contestant on Physical: Asia as part of Team Turkey.[6]
Filmography
Web shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Physical: Asia | Contestant | Team Turkey | [6] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Kara, Recep". International Wrestling Database. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Gönlümüzdeki Başpehlivan". Ünye Kent (in Türkçe). Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Başpehlivan Recep Kara'nın gözü beşinci kez altın kemerde" (in Türkçe). Anadolu Agency. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ "Recep Kara". Güreşiyorum (in Türkçe). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "655.Tarihi Kırkpınar Yağlı Güreşleri'nin Şampiyonu Recep Kara Oldu" (in Türkçe). Edirne Governorate. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 LeGardye, Quinci. "Physical: Asia cast". Marie Claire. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
External links
- Recep Kara at the International Wrestling Database (alternate link)
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