Turkish Airlines signs sponsorship deal with Dortmund

ISTANBUL

Dortmund's supporters cheer their team prior to the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg football match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid on April 24, 2013 in Dortmund, western Germany. Dortmund won the match 4-1. AFP photo

Turkish Airlines is set to add Borussia Dortmund to its roster of high-profile sponsorship deals.

Turkey’s flagship carrier announced that it would meet the German giants on May 2 to ink a deal to make itself the official flight sponsor of the club.

“We are excited at the prospect of being a part of Borussia Dortmund’s future success and we aim for a productive partnership,” the company’s chairman of the board, Hamdi Topçu, said.

Turkish Airlines has worked with Barcelona and Manchester United, in addition to athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Lionel Messi and Caroline Wozniacki.

An eight-time Bundesliga champion and three-time German Cup winner, Dortmund also took a massive step closer to winning its second Champions League trophy with a semifinal first leg victory over Real Madrid on April 24.

The team also boasts Turkish international Nuri Şahin and İlkay Gündoğan, a player with Turkish roots but playing for Germany.

“Turkish Airlines and Borussia Dortmund share a similar success story. Dortmund has a very notable set of players, many of them young and successful,” Topçu said. “Turkish Airlines also invests heavily in talent building. Several of the Borussia Dortmund players are members of both the German and Turkish national teams.”

Hans-Joachim Watzke, Borussia Dortmund’s CEO, also commented on the deal. “We are glad to have Turkish Airlines, a global brand, as our partner. Turkish Airlines is a strong brand with obviously high quality and a first class service. We are looking forward to cooperating with Turkish Airlines and are pleased that they chose Borussia Dortmund as a strong partner to realize their goals,” Watzke said.