Yes — Zeki Çelik is of Kurdish descent. He plays as a right-back for AS Roma and the Turkey national team, but his family has roots in Muş, a Kurdish-majority province in the east. He was born in Bursa as the youngest of nine children, after his family moved there before his birth.
Key facts
- Full name
- Mehmet Zeki Çelik
- Born
- 17 February 1997, Bursa, Turkey
- Heritage
- Kurdish (family roots in Muş)
- National team
- Turkey (debut 2018)
- Club
- AS Roma (right-back)
- Family
- Youngest of nine children
Where Zeki Çelik's family comes from
Zeki Çelik was born on 17 February 1997 in Yıldırım, a district of Bursa in western Turkey. But his family is not originally from Bursa: their roots lie in Muş, a Kurdish-majority province in eastern Turkey. The family relocated to the industrial city of Bursa roughly two years before Zeki was born, and he grew up there as the youngest of nine siblings.
Wikipedia states plainly that Çelik "is of Kurdish descent," and Kurdish outlets such as BasNews list him among the players of Kurdish heritage who reached the 2026 World Cup, describing him as "a Kurd from Bursa."
Career: from Bursaspor to Roma
Çelik began in the Bursaspor youth academy before moving to Istanbulspor, then to French side Lille, where he won the Ligue 1 title in 2020–21. In 2022 he signed for AS Roma in Italy's Serie A, where he established himself as a reliable right-back. He has represented the Turkey national team since 2018 and was named in Turkey's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Why he plays for Turkey
Çelik holds Turkish citizenship and came through the Turkish football system, so he represents Turkey internationally. As with every footballer of Kurdish heritage, there is no FIFA-recognized Kurdistan national team to play for — Kurdistan is not a UN-recognized state — so Kurdish players appear for the countries where they hold citizenship.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeki Çelik Kurdish?
Yes. He is of Kurdish descent, with family roots in the Kurdish-majority province of Muş, though he was born in Bursa and plays for Turkey.
Where is Zeki Çelik from?
He was born in Yıldırım, Bursa, in western Turkey. His family originally comes from Muş in the east.
Which national team does Zeki Çelik play for?
Turkey. He has been a Turkey international since 2018 and played at the 2026 World Cup.
What club does Zeki Çelik play for?
AS Roma in Italy's Serie A, where he plays as a right-back.