On Friday, Amedspor announced that they had signed a 2+1 year contract with center back David Bates in order to strengthen the defensive line as the squad plans for the 2026-2027 season.

“We welcome David Bates to our club and wish him a season full of successes under the Amedspor jersey,” the club posted on X.

“An ambitious club with ambitious people, and a massive fan base,” Bates posted on X the next day.

“I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and to playing in front of these supporters. I’ll leave everything on the pitch, as always.”

“Bi hev re, ber bi serkeftinê ve,” (“Together, toward success”) he ended his post in Kurdish.

Last month, Kurdish football club Amedspor secured promotion to the highest Turkish football league, also known as the Super League, after finishing the season in second place after a 3-3 draw against Iğdırspor, leading to mass celebrations among Kurds.

Amedspor, founded in 1972, is based in Diyarbakır, a Kurdish city in southeastern Turkey that is widely regarded as the informal capital of the country’s Kurdish minority and is also known by its Kurdish name, Amed.