436 Life in Society
 
Life in Society 437  
 
   
 
 
  
  
  bronze medals in other international competitions. In addition, an unprecedented figure performed in the ball category by Turkish gymnast Şükran Taşyuran during the 15th Lisbon International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament was registered as the “Şükran Figure” by the International Gymnastic Federation (FIG). The administrative and financial management of the Gymnastic Federation was given autonomy on May 31, 2006. Turkey won a total of 50 medals in swimming, including 21 gold, 15 silver, and 14 bronze medals.  
 
Archery. One of the oldest sports performed by Turks, archery dates back to almost 5000 B.C. An Archery Federation was established upon Atatürk’s directives to revive this sport. So far, 12 Turkish archers became world and European champions. During 2005, the Turkish archery team consisting of Ogün Yıldız, Tayfun Kolay and Enes Uğurlu won the European Juniors’ Archery Championship in Denmark, Begül Löklüoğlu won the International Junior Cup in Italy in the women’s individual category and Özlem Kılınçarslan, Sabriye Gezer and Sema Yurtsever won the same event in women’s team category. In the 2006 European Adults’ and Young’s Indoor Archery Championship,
 

Begül Löklüoğlu, European Field Archery Championship for
Adult and Young
 
  Begül Löklüoğlu won the silver medal in the young ladies, the ladies team won first place, and the junior team won second place. The ladies team won first place in the World Championship Prix Tournament, and third place in the World Championship; and the men’s team won second place in the World Championship. The Stars’ and Young’s World Championship, the Stars’ Men Team, won first place.  
 

Automotive Sports. The first car race in Turkey was organized by the Turkish Automotive Sports Association at the Veliefendi Hippodrome in İstanbul in 1927. Azize Hanım won the 1937 ELPA Balkan Rally, organized with the support of the Turkish Automobile Club in 1937 at the women’s category. İbrahim Bahçeli placed first in his category at the 6,000 km “Tour de France” in 1954.
 

The Aegean Rally was organized for the first time in 1967 and it became of the main legs of the European Rally Championship in 1972.
 
Around 20 pilots including Ali Sipahi, Ayhan Tokyay, Demir Bükey, Renç Koçibey and Faruk Süren took part in various Balkan races and their successful performances were instrumental in increasing popularity of motor sports in Turkey.
 
The Günaydın (Fiat) Rally was first run in 1972 and the Rally of Turkey began to give a coefficient of 20 to the European Rally Championship. Thus, Turkey became one of the ten countries where a 20 coefficient race was organized.
 
The Anatolian Rally organized by the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation has been included in the calendar of the World Rally Championship in 2003 and Turkey has been admitted into the calendar of the “Formula 1 World Championship” in 2005, the first grand prix taking place at the İstanbul Park Circuit on August 21, 2005. This event was organized under the sponsorship of a Turkish trademark for the first time in 2006 under the name of “Petrol Ofisi Turkish Grand Prix”.