Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç answered the questions asked by the TFF Ethics Committee

The yellow-dark blue club announced on the official website that the Turkish Football Federation Ethics Committee‘s questions submitted in writing to Fenerbahçe President Ali Koç were answered. President Ali Koç’s statements included the following statements:

“With the letter dated 04.11.2023 and numbered 2023-15 E./33-16 sent by the Turkish Football Federation Ethics Committee (“Board”), it was stated that my information was needed within the framework of the investigation before the Board, and that my answers to the questions given below and any additional information, if any, were provided in the relevant letter. It has been requested that my statements be forwarded to your Board.

”1- Adana Demirspor A.Ş. – Fenerbahçe A.Ş. Was the VAR image of a position in the match played between MHK at the time sent to you by Lale Orta?

2-Is there anything else you would like to say other than the question above?
In this context, I present to your Board’s attention below my answers and explanations to the questions posed to me.

Immediately after the allegations in question were made, our club applied to the Turkish Football Federation Board of Directors with a letter dated 19.10.2023 and numbered 522, requesting that “these allegations be investigated in detail and the necessary steps be taken in order to eliminate doubts about the truth of the allegations and enlighten the public.” ‘ he demanded. To date, the TFF Board of Directors has not made any notification or even provided information to our Club about whether this process initiated by your Board was initiated upon our Club’s application.

Moreover, this is not the only application made by us that aims to prevent unethical behavior in Turkish football. As a matter of fact, we constantly appeal to the Board of Directors of the Turkish Football Federation to investigate all allegations that are not baseless and are expressed by serious authorities in Turkish football, where another grave allegation is made every day. First of all, Fenerbahçe Sports Club and Fenerbahçe Futbol A.Ş. The justified sensitivity I have shown to ensure that Turkish football is managed more honestly, more transparently and more fairly since the first day I took office as president is known to the football public. As a person who set out with the aim of taking Turkish football to the level it deserves both morally and administratively, Galatasaray A.Ş. It is unfortunate for me, to say the least, that there was even a need to respond to Board member Erden Timur’s baseless and completely unfounded allegations.

Addressing your article, Adana Demirspor A.Ş. – Fenerbahçe A.Ş. I would like to inform your Board that the VAR image of a position in the match played between was never sent to me, directly or indirectly, by the then MHK President, Mr. Lale Orta.

As your board knows, as a rule, the burden of proof belongs to the claimant. However, the fact that accusations that have nothing to do with reality are freely expressed with the thought of “leaving a mud horse trail” and ultimately remain unpunished not only harms the value of Turkish football, but also fuels social events by placing individuals and institutions under suspicion. Because the allegations in question were put forward on October 17, 2023, and although a long period of twenty days have passed, they have not been supported by any evidence by the claimant.

Our application stating that some of the allegations made by former referee Ahmet Çakar, who is a TFF delegate, in the program called Beyaz Futbol, ​​broadcast on Beyaz TV channel, should be examined and an investigation should be opened before the Ethics Board, without being limited to the allegations made in the program dated October 17, 2023, was submitted to the TFF Management Board on October 4, 2023. It was presented to the Board. We regretfully observe that all the steps we have taken to manage Turkish football more transparently and investigate grave allegations have been inconclusive to date. After this stage, our expectation is that our applications will be investigated with due consideration.

As I clearly stated at the Fenerbahçe Sports Club High Council Board meeting held on November 5, 2023, in order to ensure that the necessary investigation regarding the incident in question is carried out in a healthy and fair manner and the facts come to light; Regarding the allegation that former MHK President Mr. Lale Orta sent me a VAR image, taking the oral statements of all relevant parties, especially the claimant, has become a necessity in order to elucidate the facts.

As stated in the deciphered text of the statements made by the claimant in the text you have forwarded to me, “There is a record of Lale Orta sending her video to Ali Koç.”, “I will also tell you where it is.”, “These are just street gossip. not. Let me tell you that. Their statement “information that has been confirmed to be true” indicates that there is clear evidence. There is no doubt that, within the scope of the investigation carried out by your Board, the records that the claimant claims to have must be presented. If it cannot be presented or if the documents presented do not prove the claim made, the persons who made statements that falsely incriminate myself, Fenerbahçe Sports Club and Fenerbahçe Futbol A.Ş., of which I am the president, will be accused of – 18/10, 22/1 of Law No. 6222. , 22/3 and other relevant provisions, without prejudice to the relevant provisions of the Disciplinary Committees and your Board, due to their opposition to the other provisions regarding the 36th article of the Football Disciplinary Instruction and the other regulations regarding the articles 11 to 12 of the Ethics Committee Instruction. They must be punished with sanctions.

Finally, I would like to point out that, at this point, claims and speculations regarding the integrity of the game on and off the field are the basis of the structural problems of Turkish football, and the TFF Ethics Board has a critical position and a great responsibility to solve the structural problem of Turkish football. Therefore, it is essential that this responsibility be fulfilled properly. In this regard, as I stated above, I request that the investigation that forms the basis of my statements before the court be comprehensively discussed and the oral statements of all the claimants and the addressees of the allegations, including me, be taken.”