{{Short description|Turkish karateka (born 1987)}} {{Infobox martial artist | name = Enes Erkan | image = Karate WM 2014 819.JPG | image_size = | alt = | caption = Erkan at the 2014 World Karate Championships | birth_name = Enes Erkan | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|5|10}} | birth_place = Adapazarı, Sakarya, Turkey | nationality = Turkish | height = | weight = +84 kg | weight_class = +84 kg | style = Karate (kumite) | team = Sakarya Büyükşehir Belediyespor | trainer = | rank = | university = Sakarya University | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's karate}} {{MedalCountry|{{TUR}}}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalGold|2012 Paris|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalGold|2014 Bremen|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalGold|2013 Budapest|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalGold|2014 Tampere|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalGold|2015 Istanbul|Team kumite}} {{MedalGold|2017 Kocaeli|Team kumite}} {{MedalSilver|2009 Zagreb|Kumite 84 kg}} {{MedalSilver|2015 Istanbul|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalSilver|2017 Kocaeli|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2008 Tallinn|Kumite 80 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2012 Adeje|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2016 Montpellier|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|European Games}} {{MedalGold|2015 Baku|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|Mediterranean Games}} {{MedalSilver|2013 Mersin|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|Islamic Solidarity Games}} {{MedalSilver|2017 Baku|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|World Combat Games}} {{MedalBronze|2013 Saint Petersburg|Kumite +84 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships}} {{MedalGold|2007 Istanbul|Kumite 80 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2003 Marseille|Kumite 70 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|European Junior Championships}} {{MedalGold|2008 Trieste|Kumite 80 kg}} {{MedalBronze|2005 Thessaloniki|Kumite 75 kg}} }} '''Enes Erkan''' (born 10 May 1987) is a Turkish karateka. Competing in men's kumite in the +84 kg division, Erkan represented the Turkey national team and Sakarya Büyükşehir Belediyespor.<ref name="wkf">{{cite web |url=https://setopen.sportdata.org/wkfranking/ranking_main_competitor.php?hidemenu=true&ranking_competitor=TUR198&ranking_country=TUR |title=WKF Ranking – Enes Erkan |publisher=World Karate Federation / Sportdata |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="tmok">{{cite web |url=https://olimpiyat.org.tr/Sporcu-Detay/enes-erkan/6663 |title=Enes Erkan |publisher=Turkish National Olympic Committee |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=Turkish}}</ref> He became a two-time world champion by winning gold medals at the World Karate Championships in 2012 Paris and 2014 Bremen.<ref name="aa2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/turkish-karate-player-claims-top-title-in-world-championship/305549 |title=Turkish karate player claims top title in world championship |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=25 November 2012 |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="aa2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/turkish-karateka-claims-world-title/103399 |title=Turkish karateka claims world title |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=8 November 2014 |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=English}}</ref> At the European Karate Championships, he won individual +84 kg gold medals in 2013 and 2014, and he became European Games champion in the same division at the 2015 European Games.<ref name="wkf" /><ref name="aa2015eg">{{cite news |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/spor/milli-karateci-erkandan-altin-madalya/36578 |title=Milli karateci Erkan'dan altın madalya |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=14 June 2015 |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=Turkish}}</ref>
== Career == Erkan represented Turkey in international karate tournaments from the youth age categories onward. In 2003, he won the bronze medal in cadet kumite -70 kg at the World Cadet, Junior and Under-21 Karate Championships held in Marseille. In 2005, he won the bronze medal in cadet kumite -75 kg at the European Cadet and Junior Championships in Thessaloniki. In 2007, he became world junior champion in the -80 kg division at the World Cadet, Junior and Under-21 Championships in Istanbul. In 2008, he won the gold medal in the same division at the European Junior Championships in Trieste.<ref name="wkf" />
In 2008, he won the bronze medal in men's kumite -80 kg at the 2008 European Karate Championships held in Tallinn, Estonia, one of his first major senior international results.<ref name="wkf" /> In 2009, he won the silver medal in men's kumite -84 kg at the 2009 European Karate Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.<ref name="wkf" />
In 2012, he won the bronze medal in the +84 kg event at the 2012 European Karate Championships in Adeje, Spain.<ref name="wkf" /> The same year, he became world champion in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2012 World Karate Championships in Paris, France. He defeated Azerbaijan's Shahin Atamov 3–0 in the final to win the gold medal.<ref name="aa2012" />
In 2013, Erkan won the gold medal in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2013 European Karate Championships in Budapest, Hungary.<ref name="wkf" /> The same year, he won the silver medal in the +84 kg event at the 2013 Mediterranean Games in Mersin.<ref name="aa2013med">{{cite news |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-ranks-first-in-karate-at-2013-medgames/235478 |title=Turkey ranks first in karate at 2013 MedGames |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=29 June 2013 |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=English}}</ref> He also won the bronze medal in the +84 kg event at the 2013 World Combat Games in Saint Petersburg.<ref name="wkf" />
In 2014, he became European champion for the second time in the +84 kg event at the 2014 European Karate Championships in Tampere, Finland.<ref name="wkf" /> Later that year, he won the second world title of his career at the 2014 World Karate Championships in Bremen, Germany. In the final, he defeated Iran's Sajad Ganjzadeh 5–4 to win the gold medal.<ref name="aa2014" />
In 2015, he won the silver medal in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2015 European Karate Championships in Istanbul. He lost 2–1 to Serbia's Slobodan Bitević in the final.<ref name="haberturk2015">{{cite web |url=http://spor.haberturk.com/diger/haber/1056421-50-avrupa-buyukler-karate-sampiyonasinda-3-gumus-bir-bronz-madalya |title=50. Avrupa Büyükler Karate Şampiyonası'nda 3 gümüş ve bir bronz madalya |publisher=Habertürk |date=21 March 2015 |access-date=29 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324004348/http://spor.haberturk.com/diger/haber/1056421-50-avrupa-buyukler-karate-sampiyonasinda-3-gumus-bir-bronz-madalya |archive-date=24 March 2015 |url-status=dead |language=Turkish}}</ref> On the final day of the championships, the Turkey men's kumite team defeated France 3–2 to become European champion. The team included Yaser Şahintekin, Serkan Yağcı, Rıdvan Kaptan, Gökhan Gündüz and Enes Erkan.<ref name="eurosport2015team">{{cite web |url=http://tr.eurosport.com/karate/50.-avrupa-buyukler-karate-sampiyonasi-turkiye-son-gunu-iki-altinla-kapadi_sto4649885/story.shtml |title=50. Avrupa Büyükler Karate Şampiyonası: Türkiye son günü iki altınla kapadı |publisher=Eurosport |date=22 March 2015 |access-date=29 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402145605/http://tr.eurosport.com/karate/50.-avrupa-buyukler-karate-sampiyonasi-turkiye-son-gunu-iki-altinla-kapadi_sto4649885/story.shtml |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=live |language=Turkish}}</ref>
The same year, Erkan won the gold medal in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2015 European Games in Baku. He defeated Slobodan Bitević 2–1 in the semi-finals to reach the final, where he beat Germany's Jonathan Horne 2–1 to become European Games champion.<ref name="aa2015eg" /> He was also the flag bearer for the Turkish delegation at the opening ceremony.<ref name="ntv2015flag">{{cite web |url=http://www.ntvspor.net/haber/haber-t/132141/bakude-tarihi-acilis- |title=Bakü'de tarihi açılış! |publisher=NTV Spor |date=12 June 2015 |access-date=29 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613230852/http://www.ntvspor.net/haber/haber-t/132141/bakude-tarihi-acilis- |archive-date=13 June 2015 |url-status=live |language=Turkish}}</ref>
In 2016, he won the bronze medal in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2016 European Karate Championships in Montpellier, France.<ref name="wkf" /> In 2017, he won the silver medal in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2017 European Karate Championships in Kocaeli.<ref name="wkf" /> At the same championships, he won the gold medal with the Turkey men's kumite team. The squad included Enes Erkan, Uğur Aktaş, Gökhan Gündüz, Rıdvan Kaptan, Serkan Yağcı, Alparslan Yamanoğlu and Muhammet Ali Yılmaz; Turkey defeated France in the final to become European champion in team kumite.<ref name="yenisafak2017team">{{cite news |url=https://en.yenisafak.com/turkiye/turkey-is-european-karate-champion-with-most-medals-2654312 |title=Turkey is European Karate champion with most medals |publisher=Yeni Şafak |date=7 May 2017 |access-date=29 May 2026 |language=English}}</ref> The same year, he won the silver medal in men's kumite +84 kg at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku. He lost to Iran's Sajad Ganjzadeh in the final and finished the tournament in second place.<ref name="tmok" />
== Personal life == Erkan was born on 10 May 1987 in Adapazarı, Sakarya. He studied at Sakarya University.<ref name="tmok" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://setopen.sportdata.org/wkfranking/ranking_main_competitor.php?hidemenu=true&ranking_competitor=TUR198&ranking_country=TUR Enes Erkan at the World Karate Federation ranking] * [https://olimpiyat.org.tr/Sporcu-Detay/enes-erkan/6663 Enes Erkan at the Turkish National Olympic Committee]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Erkan, Enes}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Adapazarı Category:Turkish male karateka Category:Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Turkey Category:Mediterranean Games medalists in karate Category:Karateka at the 2015 European Games Category:European Games competitors for Turkey Category:European Games gold medalists for Turkey Category:European Games medalists in karate Category:Karateka at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games Category:Islamic Solidarity Games silver medalists for Turkey Category:Islamic Solidarity Games medalists in karate Category:Sakarya University alumni Category:21st-century Turkish sportsmen