Dursun Özbek responds to Fenerbahçe's withdrawal threat: 'It is not in Galatasaray's tradition to interfere in the internal affairs of rivals'

Galatasaray Sports Club President Dursun Özbek made statements during the signing ceremony of the sponsorship agreement between Galatasaray and IFS. Özbek also evaluated the situation for members of the press following the sponsorship agreement.

Özbek stated the following in his remarks:

THE TOPIC OF MEETING WITH ALİ KOÇ

"Ali Bey brought up the subject of a mutual friend. It is a matter that happened 4-5 months ago. A mutual acquaintance of ours visited me. Contrary to what Ali Bey said, he made a call for the tense atmosphere in Turkish football to end. He said that we could discuss this issue with Ali Bey, that we could meet at a venue he would organize, and that he could do this to end the tense atmosphere. Ali Bey and I accepted this meeting."

"HE CANCELED THE MEETING BASED ON A STATEMENT"

"Ali Bey later canceled the meeting based on a statement. I was thinking about whether I could resolve the tension in Turkish sports by talking. The cancellation of this meeting came from our rival."

"TODAY SHOULD BE A TURNING POINT"

"This tension in Turkish football needs to be examined with importance. We need to consider what we have done from the past to the present. How much benefit and how much harm has it caused to Turkish sports?"

"I wish we could have met and not reached these days. Events should be examined in detail. The events we swept under the rug have brought us to these days. Today should be a turning point."

FENERBAHÇE'S LEAGUE WITHDRAWAL STATEMENT

"Ali Bey called for an extraordinary general assembly. This withdrawal from the league is Fenerbahçe's internal affair. It is not in Galatasaray's tradition to interfere in the internal affairs of rivals. Fenerbahçe's general assembly will gather among themselves and make a decision. Even though similar rhetoric has been used in the past, the Fenerbahçe general assembly will make the best decision for themselves. I am sure of this. As Galatasaray, it is out of the question for us to be interested in the internal affairs of our rivals."

"HOW DID WE GET HERE?"

"I convey my get-well wishes to Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe. The only way to find a fair and healthy solution is to go back to the beginning of the events and look. I hope these types of events will be removed from our agenda. How did we get here? Let's look at our rhetoric from the past to the present. Are these events happening on their own, or is our rhetoric triggering these events? The authorities managing Turkish sports need to start from here."

SUPER CUP STATEMENT

"The decision-making mechanism regarding the postponement of the Super Cup match is the TFF. Galatasaray stands behind any decision that will benefit Turkish football."

Dursun Özbek also evaluated the situation for members of the press following the sponsorship agreement.

In his evaluation, Özbek mentioned that the contracts of Lucas Torreira and Fernando Muslera will be extended.

"WE WILL EXTEND THEIR CONTRACTS"

Stating that contract negotiations have begun, Özbek said:

"We will extend the contracts of Lucas Torreira and Fernando Muslera. I personally met with Muslera as well. They will continue to serve Galatasaray."

"The TFF announced a date for the Turkcell Super Cup final. All preparations were made accordingly. There is no different call conveyed to us by the TFF regarding subsequent developments. We were informed that the match would be played in Urfa on April 7. If a different request comes, we will evaluate it."