Fenerbahçe Club applied to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) regarding Galatasaray Deputy President Erden Timur. In the statement, it was said: “An investigation has been requested based on Erden Timur’s allegations.”
The statement made by the yellow-dark blue team on their official website is as follows:
We, Fenerbahçe Sports Club and its subsidiary Fenerbahçe Futbol A.Ş. We have always shown sensitivity for the justice, transparency and honesty of Turkish football and will continue to do so. In this context, Galatasaray Sportif A.Ş. Deputy President Erden Timur, in a program he attended on A Spor television channel on October 17, 2023, made some unfounded allegations about the boards of your Federation, which is one of the leading football stakeholders of our country, and our Club, and shared with the public – part of which is the deciphered text of this article – in order to make these unjust allegations credible. We are greatly concerned by the statements presented in the annex.
It has come to our attention that in the said programme, former President of the Central Referee Board, Ms. Lale Orta, made an extremely serious accusation that she unlawfully provided some images and information to our Club President, Mr. Ali Y. Koç. Although the allegations in question are ‘unrealistic’ to say the least; It damages the value of Turkish football, undermines the principle of fair play and causes serious discomfort in the football community. In order to eliminate doubts about the truth of the allegations and to enlighten the public, it became necessary to demand that these allegations be investigated in detail and the necessary steps be taken.
It is clear that, without being limited to the allegations made in the program dated October 17, 2023, some of the allegations made by former referee Ahmet Çakar in the program called Beyaz Futbol, broadcast on Beyaz TV channel in the past weeks, should also be examined. As a matter of fact, considering that the person in question was also a TFF delegate, we requested an investigation to be opened before the Ethics Board on October 4, 2023.
It is essential for your Federation to thoroughly examine the allegations in question and initiate an investigation into them, and to take statements from all relevant parties when necessary, and this is one of the obligations of your Federation. It is our greatest wish that this process is carried out in a transparent, fair and impartial manner. Following the investigation and prosecution phases to be carried out fairly and objectively, the injustice of the allegations made against our Club and its members will be revealed, and the persons who made statements that falsely incriminate us – Articles 18/10, 22/1, 22/3 and 18/10, 22/1, 22/3 of Law No. 6222. We believe that they will be punished with the relevant sanctions by the Disciplinary Committees and the Ethics Committee due to their violation of the other provisions regarding the 36th article of the Football Disciplinary Instruction and the other regulations regarding the 11th and 12th articles of the Ethics Committee Instruction, without prejudice to our right to apply regarding other relevant provisions. is complete.
At this point, claims and speculations regarding the integrity of the game on and off the field are among the structural problems of Turkish football. Undoubtedly, it is the responsibility of your Federation to clarify the allegations in question and take the necessary precautions.
It is essential that this responsibility be fulfilled properly. Otherwise, it will be inevitable for your Federation to be questioned.
For the future of Turkish football, we request you to seriously consider both the allegations made in the program broadcast on A Spor channel on 17 October 2023 and the application we made to the Ethics Committee on 4 October 2023 and take the necessary steps.