The decision was announced by the Fédération Française de Taekwondo et Disciplines Associées (FFTDA) in recent days, withdrawing its athletes entirely from the tournament, which features kyorugi, poomsae, and para-taekwondo competitions and awards G1 points toward the World Taekwondo world rankings.
According to information published by the French federation on its official website, the decision was made “in light of ministerial recommendations and the current international context.” This appears to reflect security concerns stemming from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have affected several countries in the region—including Turkey—since late February 2026.
Specialized media outlets such as insidethegames.biz reported that the federation withdrew its athletes, citing precisely those security concerns, at a time when other international federations (such as those for tennis and equestrian sports) have also canceled or modified events in the region for similar reasons.
The Turkish Open is one of the most important G1 tournaments on the annual calendar and typically attracts hundreds of competitors from around the world. The absence of France, one of the European powerhouses in the sport (with several recent Olympic and world medalists), has a significant impact on the competitive level of the event.
At this time, neither World Taekwondo nor the Turkish federation has issued an official statement regarding France's withdrawal, although the tournament is proceeding as scheduled.
This decision is part of a recent trend of adjustments to international sports schedules due to security concerns in the region. The FFTDA has not specified whether the measure applies only to this event or could extend to other future competitions in Turkey or nearby areas.
