1. Lig

The TFF First League (TFF 1. Lig) is the second-division championship in Turkey. While it was established in 2001, it should be noted that second-division football has existed in the country since 1963 and was known as the Second Football League until a new league system was formed in 2001-02.

Organized by the Turkish Football Federation, the TFF 1. Lig operates on the relegation and promotion system. The worst performers get demoted to the TFF Second League, the country’s third division. Meanwhile, three teams get promoted to the Süper Lig, Turkey's top flight, with the top two clubs at the end of the season earning automatic promotion while the final spot is determined through a playoff.

TFF 1. Lig clubs are eligible to play in the Turkish Cup. A team from this division can also feature in Europe by winning the domestic cup competition.

1. Lig broadcasting rights are typically sold alongside the Süper Lig. This was the case in 2022 when beIN Sports, whose five-year contract had just expired, agreed a deal for Turkish football’s domestic and international broadcasting rights for 2022-23 and 2023-24. Not only did this arrangement include the Turkish top flight but it also earned the Qatar-based broadcasters the right to televise TFF First League fixtures.