TESFED (Türkiye Espor Federasyonu), the Turkish Esports Federation, and BBL Esports have announced the immediate termination of Mert “Mert” Tanrıverdi’s contracts with the organizations.
The announcement came in two separate statements, less than one hour apart, however neither statement elucidated the reasoning behind either termination. The former BBL Valorant Team Manager has since deactivated his social media.
Statements share “necessity” in terminating contracts
TESFED were the first to make a statement, sharing that Mert Tanrıverdi’s duties “have been terminated as deemed necessary by our Federation.” (translated)
The statement in full reads, “The duties of Mert Tanrıverdi, who served as the National Teams Manager during the Esports Nations Cup 2026 process, have been terminated as deemed necessary by our Federation.
“The ENC 2026 national teams process will continue as planned under the coordination of the relevant boards and technical structure of the Turkish Esports Federation. Respectfully announced to the public.” (translated)
Mert served as the Valorant Team Manager for BBL Esports, simultaneously taking the role as National Team Manager for Turkey at the Esports Nations Cup, where Turkey’s Valorant roster will be amongst the favorites at the event.
The National Team Manager oversees the competitive offering of that nation, selecting coaches for specific titles, somewhich which was already completed by Mert’s departure.
The NTM is also the lead point of contact between the Esports Federation (formerly the Esports World Cup Foundation) and the national team, making the shift of personnel potentially impactful for Turkey’s Esports Nations Cup hopes.
Following the 17:19 CEST statement, BBL Esports released their own update at 18:06 CEST, sharing “The employment of Mert Tanrıverdi, who served as the VALORANT Team Manager at our club, has been terminated as deemed necessary. Respectfully announced to our valuable public.”
As part of BBL Esports, Mert oversaw BBL’s VCT EMEA Kick Off victory, with the Turkish org placing 5th-6th at the subsequent Valorant Masters Santiago.
The statements, both echoing that the decision was “deemed necessary,” do not describe the reason for termination, potentially for legal reasons.
If any information becomes public regarding the termination of the contracts, Insider Gaming will provide an update.
You can discuss all things Valorant on the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more VCT news, see CoJo’s clarification on Milan’s removal as Fnatic Head Coach.
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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