Ali Koç and Aziz Yıldırım’s Historic Meeting: Key Highlights from the Live Discussion

Fenerbahçe Club President and Presidential Candidate Ali Koç invited Presidential Candidate Aziz Yıldırım to a live broadcast during today’s ordinary election general assembly.

After Aziz Yıldırım accepted the invitation, the two made statements live on air. At the beginning and end of the program, Aziz Yıldırım and Ali Koç shook hands and kissed each other.

Aziz Yıldırım’s Statements:

Ali Koç made a speech today, which I didn’t listen to. At the end, he made an interesting call. He said that Fenerbahçe is not successful because of the anti-Fener lobby. He suggested we fight this together… I wanted to meet with Ali for this request.

Ali, for 6 years, there’s been nothing good? My last 4 years were also bad. Let’s not talk about amateurs. I founded the amateurs. The 1907 Association was closing down the women’s team. We established the amateurs. Only football is problematic here.

Didn’t I congratulate you for men’s basketball? I appeared in all the programs about the coaches… Making it to the Final Four is also an achievement. In the first year, I came to you and held a meeting in Çırağan, saying give me the men’s basketball to manage.

Ali, you say “We lost, they had fun.” November 2 is my birthday. If you keep failing, what can I do? We were having dinner, suddenly it got crowded, and we had fun.

When they said ‘Ali Şen President, Fenerbahçe Champion,’ I became the president. When Mr. Ali came around, we felt uncomfortable. We were the management, Mr. Ali was impatiently sharing his ideas. You should thank me for not interfering. I never came to you so you wouldn’t be disturbed by me.

I filed a complaint in the conspiracy case. They said let’s take you into custody and talk about you. I said if you do that, I will withdraw my complaint. Şekip Mosturoğlu is a witness.

The Galatasaray President insulted you. I stood up and called him “Double faced.” Using that phrase wasn’t easy, Mr. Ali. I made a speech. I asked Nihat Özdemir about the 28 championships, and he said, ‘Mr. Ali wrote us a letter, if you read it, you wouldn’t give it either.’ He implied that you wanted something else there.

I went and met with him. The other candidate called me and said ‘I met him.’ ‘Mr. Sadettin called me, and I met him.’ I said, ‘There are 3 candidates, but Fenerbahçe needs you.’ He said, ‘Okay.’ Önder and Mendes met in Portugal. We gave the document, prepared everything, and you intervened.

Ali Koç’s Statements:

First of all, thank you for the last-minute invitation. Mr. President called me and said let’s go on a national channel. I wanted Fenerbahçe TV. He said, ‘Let’s do it without a moderator.’ Some friends said it wouldn’t work without a moderator… I’ve been wanting this meeting for a long time. When we leave this table, we need a united and whole Fenerbahçe. This grudge and anger between these two people hinder the unity of this community. I’ve been wanting this for a long time.

For 20 years, during your time and ours, we experienced things that cannot be explained by the usual flow. What we went through this year… If I become president, if Mr. Aziz Yıldırım wants to support, amen, and if he becomes president, if there is anything we can do, I will close the past. I think Fenerbahçe’s deterrence has decreased. If he becomes president, if there is anything we can do, I will close the past.

We need to build a trust mechanism between us. Let’s say whatever we think about each other. You had harsh words. I think criticism is fine if you call good good and bad bad. You only think about football. I know how much you care about women’s basketball. First of all, what happened that made you decide to meet? The outside world is like a wolf’s den.

We had good days, and we overcame many hardships. We still bear the burden of July 3. I left in 2012. Since then, what Fenerbahçe has been made to endure in football, I’m sure you are as outraged as I am.

Dialogues Between Ali Koç and Aziz Yıldırım:

Aziz Yıldırım: “We will open the letters you sent. We are making peace today.”

Ali Koç: “Are we making peace?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “You wanted this today.”

Ali Koç: “I have always made this call.”

CHANTING AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Ali Koç: Today you say there shouldn’t be chanting at general assemblies, but there are chants in general assemblies.

Aziz Yıldırım: When did I do that, tell me?

Ali Koç: There are videos of you.

Aziz Yıldırım: In the general assembly, I meant it’s wrong to boo or make a gesture while a speech is being made. They shout at you in our general assembly too.

2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Aziz Yıldırım: “Ali, please see your mistakes. I was imprisoned for a year after July 3rd. Many people came to negotiate with me, but I did not accept. They told me not to go back to Turkey, but I came back with a private jet.”

Ali Koç: “Everyone admired you for that. We went through a lot of events.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I told you, if I can handle the court, I will handle it, and you continue. You said no.”

Ali Koç: “Your statements are inconsistent. You keep zigzagging. I did not accept that.”

Ali Koç: “We worked together for 6 years. You were the president, and I was your manager. I want to ask this; since July 3rd, you must have been outraged by what happened. Look at the points collected; it’s an injustice in this football scenario.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I came to fight against anti-Fenerbahçe anyway.”

Ali Koç: “Why did I run for Fenerbahçe presidency?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Tell me so I can remember.”

Ali Koç: “I was at Ömer Temelli’s house. It was a Saturday. Mahmut Bey said they would forcefully add my name to the list. There were no smartphones back then. I sent the longest Nokia message of my life. I said, if I can serve Fenerbahçe, there’s no refusal, I’ll come immediately. You called me in 2015. When the decision for a retrial came out, it was 2014. Then I was going to London, landed, and messages were pouring in saying we succeeded. The retrial was granted. But by the time I got home, all that excitement and happiness vanished. Because you were angry at 1907, we had launched the Adalete Fener Yak campaign. You insulted Can heavily. 1907 had published a thank-you note.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Why didn’t they publish it through us? Why didn’t they say to inform you?”

Ali Koç: “1907 had conducted a big campaign. We went door to door. We collected 650,000 signatures. You supported it too. The retrial was granted. 1907 published a thank-you note to Adalete Fener Yak without asking me; they didn’t need to ask. You got angry and insulted them.”

Ali Koç: “I’ll tell you what you did to the man you declared as your successor. I gave a speech, and it was a great speech. I said we would take responsibility, and I had no date in mind. We left the table and went, you were elected.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Not from me, if it were, I would say it, Ali. I declared you my successor. If that were the case, I would come out and declare it.”

Ali Koç: “I told Ömer, how will we speak, we were not written down. We said okay. I gave a speech that day upon your request…”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I would call and tell you.”

Ali Koç: “You called me, I explained why I couldn’t participate. We were ready. You said the case would be over in a few months, it took 10 years. I explained why I couldn’t participate. On Friday evening, the election was on Saturday. On Friday evening, Ömer Temelli sent me a message, said to say a few words to the journalists tomorrow, Aziz Bey invited you, explain the situation. I said why would I explain to journalists, I’ll explain at the congress. We came to the hall, speeches started, I couldn’t get my name registered. They called from your table, said to say a few words.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “At Ülker Arena, I said after me, Ali Koç will be president.”

Ali Koç: “Then you called me, said let’s not leave it to fate, in 2015.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I didn’t tell Selçuk to call Ali Bey to that table.”

Ali Koç: “Then our president got angry, I told the friends it could happen, he can get angry, we are all under stress. Diabetics can get angry, my brother-in-law was the same. Until 2015, a week before the election, I saw Aziz Yıldırım twice. One was a funeral. The other was at Selçuk Şahin’s wedding. I realized there was a problem, they put us at two separate tables.”

“TELL US ABOUT THE BARONS”

Ali Koç: “Please tell us about the barons!”

Aziz Yıldırım: “They are FETÖ members.”

Ali Koç: “Am I a FETÖ member?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “You are not, my brother. The barons in London.”

Ali Koç: “Please explain, don’t leave it unfinished. Who are the barons?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “The FETÖ members in London!”

Ali Koç: “Am I a FETÖ member?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Oh my brother, you take everything personally! The barons support you because of me. Their issues are with Turkey, not with you or me. The people around you know it too. I’ve told you so many times, investigate…”

APRIL 2 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Aziz Yıldırım: “When you called people for the meeting on April 2, one of the items on the agenda was to withdraw the team.”

Ali Koç: “Remove the document. It mentions alternatives including withdrawal.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Why include something you can’t do?”

Ali Koç: “I didn’t know that, I consulted with people. We discussed that withdrawal would do more harm than good for Fenerbahçe. On March 17, they tried to lynch us there. During your term, two matches in Trabzon were interrupted.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I told Volkan and Emre, if you score, the match will be interrupted, it was during Ersun Yanal’s time. Only in the 2010/11 match that we lost 3-2 did we go comfortably. In all the others, we went with shields inside police cars. Trabzon is like that.”

Ali Koç: “Trabzon is like that! A week earlier there was the Pendik match, which was played for 43 minutes. They took our championship by oppressing our players in Denizli. They were going to do the same thing. They were going to punish our players, we said enough, and presented various alternatives. We didn’t shoot blanks.”

JOSE MOURINHO TRANSFER

Ali Koç: “We agreed with Mourinho at 12. You say they paid under the table.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I didn’t say that. Did I say 12 million? You announced you got him for 10.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I’ve been in this business for 20 years. I didn’t say take him for 15, I negotiated. He wanted 18. We gave 14. We agreed with him and his three assistants for 15. You could agree for less. 15 was for the coach and his team, not including the agent.”

Ali Koç: “Are you saying the guy is stupid?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I was going to give an image rights deal, to separate it. It would be included in the 15. I was going to give 5-6 million for image rights, to reduce the tax.”

Ali Koç: “You say they paid under the table. One of your managers went on TV. He said they paid under the table, we know that agent.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Are you happy Mourinho came? If I contributed even 1%, you should thank me.”

Ali Koç: “I would thank you for many things.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I said let’s go get him together by the 9th, I’ll pay half the money.”

Ali Koç: “When you said that, you said we agreed.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “I went and talked to him. The other candidate called me and said ‘I talked to him.’ ‘Mr. Sadettin called me, we talked,’ he said. ‘There are three candidates, but Fenerbahçe needs you,’ I said. ‘Come to Turkey no matter which of us wins,’ I said. He said ‘Okay.’ Önder met with Mendes in Portugal. We gave the document, they prepared everything, and you stepped in.”

Ali Koç: “We had already stepped in before.”

“WHY HAVEN’T WE BEEN CHAMPIONS FOR 6 YEARS?”

Aziz Yıldırım: Why haven’t we been champions for 6 years? Can you explain this?

Ali Koç: 1. Bad choices, bad coaches, bad planning. Because of the team you left, we could only spend as much as we sold. We can’t use the properties you acquired with debt to increase our limits with the TFF. In the second year, we were the biggest candidate for the championship until the 26th week, but then the referees cut us down. Your longtime friend Mehmet Uçum intervened.

Aziz Yıldırım: He’s your friend too…

Ali Koç: You can’t mislead people with incomplete information about someone I’ve met only once. How much did you spend on social media for this election?

Aziz Yıldırım: Nothing. I have nothing to do with social media.

Ali Koç: Let me get to your question… Then we narrowly missed the Sivas match. As soon as we broke the chains, we brought in Jorge Jesus. The coach himself said, ‘Here, championships aren’t won on the field.’ This season… You never reached 90 points. You won’t either.

Aziz Yıldırım: “I’d rather get 60 points and be champions. Because history remembers the champions.”

BANK ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

Aziz Yıldırım: “How much did you agree on with the Banks Association?”

Ali Koç: “It was around 347 million euros.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “330 million dollars, dollars, dollars. I talked to the Banks Association.”

Ali Koç: “Why don’t you ask me?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “If I came, you’d say 612, 612.”

Ali Koç: “Why did you take out high-interest loans and buy property when the club was already in debt? We paid for all of them: Edirne, Antalya, Izmir. Mr. Erol explained it.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Who explained it? Except for one, we paid for all of them.”

Ali Koç: “Mr. Erol was explaining the debts while you were occupying the podium.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “He always explains it wrong.”

Ali Koç: “Whose debt are we trying to pay off?”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Fenerbahçe’s assets are worth more than 600 million.”

Ali Koç: “Give us 300, it’s yours.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Alright, I’ll take it, bring it here, I’ll take the same amount.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “The value of the assets I added is 600 million euros.”

Ali Koç: “Bring 300 million euros, we’ll give it to you.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Alright, bring it, I’ll take it. If I don’t, I’m dishonorable.”

“I WON’T THINK FOR A MINUTE AFTER TOMORROW, I’LL DO MY BEST”

Ali Koç: “If we could have met more often, consulted more, and if it was like the old days, it would have been beneficial for Fenerbahçe. For me, Aziz Yıldırım’s credit as a brother, as a president, has run out. If you want to open a new page, I won’t think for a minute after tomorrow, I’ll do my best.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “Thank you, we will too.”

Ali Koç: “Let’s have dinner, no TV, but I wish it was on FBTV.”

Aziz Yıldırım: “You shouldn’t have mentioned the bus. You will leave me intact.”

WHAT HAPPENED?

Fenerbahçe Club President Ali Koç invited Aziz Yıldırım to a live broadcast during his speech at the ordinary election general assembly.

In his statement, Ali Koç said, “A press release was made, all their claims are baseless. Mr. President, it’s not too late, it’s almost 5 o’clock, let’s go on TV tonight… I’m making this offer for the last time in history; if you want, we can meet and talk anywhere you choose.”

Later, Aziz Yıldırım accepted Ali Koç’s offer and said, “I called Mr. President Ali Koç. I conveyed that we could talk one-on-one, without a moderator, on a national channel of his choosing. We will go live tonight on a national channel he chooses.”