Plans have been unveiled for a new 8,000-seat football stadium in the North of Nicosia, replacing the existing Atatürk Stadium in a project being presented by the Turkish Cypriot side as one of its largest sporting investments in four decades.
According to an announcement by the Turkish Cypriot "administration," plans for the New Atatürk Stadium and Multifunctional Sports Complex were presented on Saturday, 19 September, in the presence of Turkish Vice-President Cevdet Yılmaz, Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Turkish Cypriot "administration" head Ünal Üstel and Turkish Cypriot Football Association president Hasan Sertoğlu.
8,000 seats with scope for expansion
The complex is planned for the site of the existing Atatürk Stadium and will cover an area of approximately 56,257 square metres.
Plans provide for an 8,000-seat stadium, with the possibility of expanding its capacity in the future.
Around 700 parking spaces are also envisaged, including 500 outdoor spaces and 200 covered spaces.
Üstel said during the presentation that the stadium was being designed according to European standards and UEFA criteria.
Turkish Cypriot media reports have referred to plans for 25 hospitality boxes and a design based on UEFA Category 4 specifications.
More than a football stadium
The project is intended to operate as a multifunctional sports complex rather than solely as a football ground.
Plans include:
- Indoor training areas.
- Changing rooms.
- Medical facilities.
- Media facilities.
- Offices for sports federations.
- Cafés and restaurants.
- Gyms.
- A museum.
- A swimming pool.
The aim is for the complex to remain active throughout the year rather than operating only on match days.
Solar power and rainwater collection
The project also includes a number of environmentally focused features.
Architect Bahadır Kul said photovoltaic panels would be installed above parking areas, while a rainwater collection system would be used to irrigate the playing field.
The complex is also being designed to serve an emergency function in the event of a natural disaster, with plans allowing it to be used as an assembly point or even as a temporary hospital.
Turkey links project to bilateral cooperation
Yılmaz described the development as a multifunctional complex integrated into the urban fabric of north Nicosia, referring to the concept as a “living stadium”.
He also presented the project as another symbol of cooperation between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot "administration," drawing parallels with the project supplying water from Turkey to the north.
International sporting participation raised
The presentation was also linked by the Turkish Cypriot side to the restrictions faced by Turkish Cypriot teams and athletes in international sporting competitions.
Üstel referred to the recent controversy surrounding a planned FC Barcelona academy training camp in the north.
The camp had been scheduled to take place in September at the Near East University facilities but was cancelled following interventions by the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Football Association (CFA).
The CFA had also contacted the Royal Spanish Football Federation, while the relevant listing was subsequently removed from FC Barcelona's website.
Cost and construction timetable not announced
Despite the detailed presentation of the proposed facilities, no specific construction cost has yet been announced.
There is also currently no clear timetable for the start of construction work on the new stadium and sports complex.
