Turkey's combination of mountain terrain, coastline, rivers, and climate creates conditions for an exceptionally wide range of sports, and the country has invested substantially in sports tourism infrastructure over the past two decades. The Turkish Riviera is the center of Mediterranean watersports — windsurfing and kitesurfing at Alaçatı near Izmir and at Bitez and Akyarlar near Bodrum are among the best in Europe, with reliable meltemi winds through the summer months and professional instruction and equipment rental operations that serve both beginners and competitive athletes.

Golf in Turkey has grown dramatically, centered on the Belek resort district near Antalya where more than a dozen international-standard courses concentrate in an area small enough to play a different course every day for two weeks. European Tour events are regularly hosted here, and the combination of high-quality fairways and a climate that allows year-round play has made Belek one of the premier golf destinations in Europe.

The mountains above the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts provide terrain for trail running, mountain biking, and climbing that is increasingly recognized internationally. The Lycia Way and other long-distance trails attract serious walkers from across Europe. Winter sports are available at Uludağ near Bursa, Palandöken near Erzurum, and several other ski resorts across Anatolia. White-water rafting on the Köprülü Canyon and the Çoruh River, paragliding from Ölüdeniz near Fethiye — one of the most famous paragliding sites in the world — and the growing sector of adventure sports in Cappadocia complete a sports offer that is more varied than Turkey's reputation as a beach destination suggests.