Club debts and 'barons' were on the agenda during Yıldırım and Koç's live broadcast

Before the vote to elect Fenerbahçe's new president, Aziz Yıldırım and Ali Koç faced off in a live broadcast. The two presidential candidates began their meeting by shaking hands on air. Throughout the broadcast, the parties reminded each other of their past statements. Tensions rose at times during the discussion between the two regarding the club's debts and the 'barons'.

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The live broadcast, where important topics regarding the agenda were to be discussed, began with Aziz Yıldırım and Ali Koç shaking hands.

Here are the highlights from the program:

Aziz Yıldırım: Mr. President, come on, let's kiss and hug. You always say, 'let's turn a new page.' Come on, let's turn a new page. You said this in your speech this evening. I said I would speak for this. You laughed in your speech. We closed the past. If I am elected on Monday, or if Mr. Aziz is elected, let's fight the Anti-Fener lobby together. Let's start from there on how we will fight together.

Ali Koç: First of all, thank you. The President called me. I don't answer numbers I don't recognize. I came home, I answered the phone, it was around 8, and it was you. Mr. President said, 'let's accept, let's go on a national channel.' I had wanted FBTV. We called a few people, they said it wouldn't work without a moderator. It was decided here. The reason we were late is because of me. We had a wedding to attend as witnesses. There was a boat tour for Fenerbahçe fans from abroad. That's why we were late.

Whoever wins tomorrow, we need a united and whole Fenerbahçe. We need a union of forces. A union of forces against what? We have experienced things that cannot be explained by the ordinary flow of football. Because the community is not united and whole, Fenerbahçe's deterrent power has greatly diminished. Mr. Aziz Yıldırım is of the opinion that 'you are not capable of doing it.'

Aziz Yıldırım: Now, why did I come? Mr. Ali Koç made a speech. In the final part, he made an interesting call. He said, 'Fenerbahçe cannot be successful because of our anti-Fener situation, let's fight this together.' I wanted to talk in line with this request. He says he won't talk about the past. We won't talk about it either, we closed it.

Ali Koç: You continue, I said let's join forces, but I didn't say let's not talk about the past.

Aziz Yıldırım: You used that expression in your speech during the day. 'We closed the past. If I am elected president or if Mr. Aziz is elected, let's walk the path together.' Now, what do you mean by this anti-lobby? Let's explain what I mean.

Ali Koç: First of all, thank you for accepting us. The President called me at the last minute. It's God's work, I don't answer numbers I don't recognize. Mr. President said, 'I accept, let's go on air.' I had wanted FB TV. Mr. Aziz said, 'let's go on a national channel, let's do it without a moderator.' The reason we were late is because of me. There was a wedding, and we were having a boat tour with FB associations. I apologize. First of all, this is a pleasing situation for me. I have wanted this for a long time.

Whoever wins, when we wake up tomorrow, Monday morning, we need a united and whole Fenerbahçe. 20 years for Mr. Aziz, 6 years for me. The resentment, anger, division, etc., between these two people prevents this community from integrating and uniting. On social media, we are tearing Fenerbahçe apart due to our differences of opinion. On Monday morning, all Fenerbahçe fans need to join forces. I also gave an example from my father, saying 'there is nothing that cannot be forgiven.' For 20 years, especially during your term, and during my term as well, we have experienced things that we cannot explain with football logic.

The shooting, July 3rd, losing championships in the last minute. And what we have experienced this year. Because the community is fragile, Fenerbahçe's deterrent power has greatly diminished. Mr. Aziz Yıldırım is of the opinion that 'you are not capable of doing it.' A championship drought of 10 years, two leaders at odds with each other. Tomorrow, God willing, we will hold the election. The results will be clear around 6-7 in the evening. If I become president, Mr. Aziz Yıldırım, if he wants to support, amen. After he becomes president, if there is anything we can do, I will close the past. But both sides have had serious statements about each other. We were administrators together with him, we had a friendship before that. Then we broke off. We need to establish a foundation of trust between us. There are things that have been said, even extending to families.

Mr. President, let's say whatever we think about each other. Let the community be informed and make the healthiest decision. Over the course of 6 years, the president came to a High Council (YDK) meeting once, when Mr. Şekip was elected. Other than that, press conferences the day before the congress to an extent we cannot make sense of.

Aziz Yıldırım: My dear Ali, there hasn't been anything good for 6 years. My last 4 years were bad too.

Ali Koç: You only think about football.

Aziz Yıldırım: Don't drag it down to amateur sports. I am the founder. In 1998, I gave it, we founded the women's team with Forti Murat. I'm not saying anything about amateur sports. The only problem here is football.

My dear Ali, let me give you some advice; read Hallaj-i Mansur. You will understand what I mean.

Ali Koç: I know that you founded the basketball team.

Aziz Yıldırım: I said it on television, I congratulated you, didn't you hear?

Ali Koç: I didn't hear.

Aziz Yıldırım: Then your communications team isn't informing you. I said Obradovic would be very successful. I said everything. Making it to the Final Four is also a success.

Ali Koç: You said a lot of things about basketball before that too.

Aziz Yıldırım: At Çırağan, I told you, 'give me the men's basketball team, I will cover the costs,' I said.

Ali Koç: I don't remember.

Aziz Yıldırım: I gave a message in my speech. At Çırağan. 'Give the basketball team to us,' I said. 1 year after you were elected. There is a document.

Ali Koç: First of all, what happened that you said 'let's meet' at the last minute? Outside is like 'Valley of the Wolves' (Kurtlar Vadisi).

Aziz Yıldırım: I told you, 'I came because of the call you made,' I said.

Ali Koç: Mr. President, I have been making that call for 6 years.

Just as you were president, I became president after 2018. There is a black and white difference between Aziz Yıldırım who is president and Aziz Yıldırım who is not president.

Aziz Yıldırım: If you are always unsuccessful, what can I do? In 6 years, I celebrated a birthday once, you keep saying that. I did it once. It was a coincidence. We were eating. Musicians, etc. Then we had fun.

Ali Koç: What do you give to the stance of Fenerbahçe, the person who sees himself as Fenerbahçe itself?

Aziz Yıldırım: 10 out of 10. The Galatasaray President took a swipe at you. I came out and said 'sinek 2'li' (a derogatory term). It is not easy to use this expression.

Ali Koç: We will use everything against Mr. Dursun.

Aziz Yıldırım: The late Türker Aslan said, 'Fener has no application for 28 championships.' I said you are lying.

Nihat Özdemir said, 'If I give that, Ankara Demirspor, Eskişehirspor, they will all come.'

Ali Koç: Whoever deserves it should get it. You are an intelligent person. You would say, 'My dear Nihat, you have to give it to everyone who won it before this date.'

Aziz Yıldırım: He is saying something else there.

Ali Koç: I sent you a letter, you didn't open it.

Aziz Yıldırım: We'll open it now.

Ali Koç: What happened that you are opening it now?

Aziz Yıldırım: Please see your own mistakes. I spent 1 year in prison, I didn't say a peep. People came to negotiate with me, I didn't accept. I went to Cannes with my child. Even though they insistently told me 'don't return to Turkey,' I said, 'I am the Fenerbahçe President, I have to go,' I rented a plane and came.

Ali Koç: All of Turkey appreciated it.

Aziz Yıldırım: I got on the plane and came. They could have caught me and put me in prison for 6 months. A retrial was granted, the process continued.

Ali Koç: We went through many hardships, you went through the worst of them.

Aziz Yıldırım: I said, 'If I can handle these court cases, let me handle them, you continue with the friends.' You said 'no.'

Ali Koç: You experience so many zigzags.

Aziz Yıldırım: I never do.

Ali Koç: For example, you say there should be no chanting at general assemblies today. You have videos of yourself chanting.

Aziz Yıldırım: Have I chanted while there was a speaker? If a speech is being made, to boo it, to criticize it. You can applaud. Our general assembly has reached a point where they shout at both you and me. This shouldn't be.

Ali Koç: For one thing, we worked as administrators with you for 6 years. You were the president, we were the administrators. We had good days, and we went through hardships.

Aziz Yıldırım: We were always good until the end.

Ali Koç: I left in 2012. The persecution against you was ended. From that day to this, I am sure you are as rebellious as I am about what has been done to Fenerbahçe and what it has been made to experience.

Aziz Yıldırım: That's right.

Ali Koç: Why did I become president of Fenerbahçe? We were at Ömer Temelli's house. You invited me. It was a 1-week process. Then it became Saturday. Mahmut Bey said, 'we will force you to be on the list.' I sent the longest message of my life. I said, 'don't you dare write me down.'

Aziz Yıldırım: Which year?

Ali Koç: You called me. 2015. When the retrial decision came out, it was 2014. Then I was going to London, messages were pouring in. A retrial was granted. By the time I got home, all the happiness in London was gone. Because you were angry at 1907. Can was here then. He called you and insulted you.

Aziz Yıldırım: Why don't they publish the 1907 thank-you text through the club? Why don't they say 'be informed'?

Ali Koç: 1907 ran a campaign, and you supported it too. We did it as a community, united and whole. After a while, a retrial was granted. I'm still on the plane. A thank-you message for 'Adalete Fener Yak' (Light a Torch for Justice) was published without asking me. You were angry, heavy swearing and insults.

Ahmet Selim Kul: You were not in the thank-yous (Aziz Yıldırım)

Ali Koç: You were very angry. I told my friends, 'it can happen.' Then, until 2015, 1 week before the election, I saw Mr. Aziz Yıldırım twice. One was at a funeral, one was at Selçuk Şahin's wedding. I realized there was a glitch there. They put us at two completely separate tables.

Aziz Yıldırım: I didn't do it, call Selçuk.

Ali Koç: Then you called me. You said, 'don't leave this place to wolves and birds.' After that, you invited me, thank you. I explained why I couldn't be there. God forbid if something happens to you, we are all ready, I said. Then a phone call or two, we exchanged letters. I explained to you why I couldn't participate. On Friday evening, Mr. Ömer Temelli sent a message. He said, 'tomorrow, go out and say a few words to the journalists, Mr. Aziz invited you, explain it.' We came to the hall, the speeches had started. I hadn't been able to get my name written down. They called from your table, 'Go out and say a few words.'

Aziz Yıldırım: I have no knowledge of this, man...

Ali Koç: Ömer Temelli is a name we both love and respect. Then our name was written down. We went out and spoke. That day, upon the request from you...

Aziz Yıldırım: Not from me. If it were, I would say so. If I had declared you the heir, I would come out and say it.

Ali Koç: Then I went out and spoke. I also gave a very good speech. I don't have a time limit in my head. We got off the table and left. You were elected.

Aziz Yıldırım: I was the only candidate.

Ali Koç: Mr. Aziz was elected comfortably. We were going to come to you with Burhan Karaçam around August. Then we were eliminated from the Champions League. We said let's wait a bit. It was a very unpleasant meeting between us.

Aziz Yıldırım: Tell me why?

Ali Koç: Let me explain quickly. We are talking about the weather, water, mountains. Burhan Bey said, 'the club is bankrupt.' You suddenly became intense.

Aziz Yıldırım: The reason is this; Burhan Karaçam started calling me 'Aziz.'

Ali Koç: I don't know your relationship.

Aziz Yıldırım: I don't have a relationship. The prosecutor is going to his hometown, he is not making a decision, I am chasing the prosecutor to sign the decision. What did I say, 'tell Mr. Ali to come and take ownership,' I said.

Ali Koç: You got very angry. Mr. President, I said you are different before the election and different after the election.

Aziz Yıldırım: I said, 'I am not dead yet, I am alive.'

Ali Koç: I know very few people who call you Aziz.

Aziz Yıldırım: I don't have any intimacy with him, man!

Ali Koç: You had a very harsh and inappropriate outburst. I said, 'I am not in the same boat as you.' I said, 'did you say that to me?' You understood, then pointing to the surroundings, you said, 'I am not in the same boat with them either.' I expect what a person in front of me says to be consistent.

Aziz Yıldırım: Mine is always consistent.

Ali Koç: It is not consistent at all.

Aziz Yıldırım: You were elected at the congress, I became more comfortable. I became president during the period when they said 'Ali Şen is the President, Fenerbahçe is the president.' When Mr. Ali came to the stadium, we would feel uncomfortable for 3-5 months. We are the management, we will decide. Mr. Ali is impatient. You should thank me. Because Mr. Aziz is not coming to the stadium. You should feel comfortable about this. I didn't come so you wouldn't be uncomfortable. It's that simple.

Ali Koç: I don't find what you say convincing at all.

Aziz Yıldırım: Let me come and see if you are comfortable.

Ali Koç: Why does it become an event when you come?

You are the legendary president of Fenerbahçe. You were president for 20 years.

Aziz Yıldırım: That is over for me.

Ali Koç: Aziz Yıldırım, for whom I would do many things, has entered a position of an Aziz Yıldırım I don't know. You were a hindrance, not a support. Didn't you teach us, if someone is going to say something about Fenerbahçe, they will say it to that podium. Did you do what you taught even once?

Aziz Yıldırım: If you had been the champion, you would be right when you said 'why don't you come.' There is no success.

Ali Koç: Hulusi Bey, who criticizes me the most, is here. If you didn't speak at all, I would respect it.

Aziz Yıldırım: I don't speak, man! I speak once a year.

Ali Koç: The reason for questioning your sincerity this evening is what we experienced in the past. Wouldn't I want to confide, to help? 'Mr. President, tell this Mr. Nihat to watch his step. No match-fixing has been done for 9 years,' he said. What do you think he meant?

Aziz Yıldırım: If you were in Mr. Nihat's place, I would show the same attitude towards you. I don't sell my friendship.

Ali Koç: If it's about Fenerbahçe, I don't recognize my friendship. That's the kind of Fenerbahçe fan I am. This is the insult done to you, not to me. You leave the reaction. We were lynched in Trabzon, you found us in the wrong.

Aziz Yıldırım: I didn't find you in the wrong. The child took the torch, he didn't finish it. What did Ali Koç do? He gathered the congress on April 2nd. I said, 'you are doing it wrong, don't do it, go out with the A team and beat Galatasaray,' I said. You said, 'we are withdrawing from the league.' This time the Capital Markets Board (SPK) intervened. So much money will be paid, etc. What did you do after that?

Ali Koç: We didn't say such a thing. Where did we say it, tell me.

Aziz Yıldırım: You said it on television.

Ali Koç: We said we are calling the congress members to evaluate all options. Is this withdrawing from the league? I met with all former Fenerbahçe administrators. Without exception, they were all against withdrawing. The word 'withdraw' never came out of my mouth. I don't say something like you to save the moment and then take a step back. The man asks, he says, 'you agreed for 15 million, they are 12 million.'

Aziz Yıldırım: Who says it, I don't. Mahmut mentioned it, not me.

Bring the footage of what came out of my mouth. Did I say 12 million? You said we bought it for 10.5.

Aziz Yıldırım: Mr. Ali, you announced 12, I said 15. I didn't make such a statement.

ALİ KOÇ: CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE BARONS?

AZİZ YILDIRIM: IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU

Ali Koç: Until that comes, can you explain the barons?

Aziz Yıldırım: The FETÖ barons in London, you will learn soon.

Ali Koç: Why don't you explain? Explain, man.

Aziz Yıldırım: If I explain, I will be the one under it, not you. You are a Koç.

Ali Koç: Let's finish the barons.

Aziz Yıldırım: They support you. Because of me. If I weren't here, they wouldn't be supporting you.

Ali Koç: What is the relationship of the barons with me?

Aziz Yıldırım: It has nothing to do with you. It's not about you and me. Their business is in Turkey.

Ali Koç: Why are you putting these into your mind?

Aziz Yıldırım: Do some research. It's not about your person. They support you because I am here.

Ali Koç: You implied that I am a US project, politics, FETÖ?

Aziz Yıldırım: I went to the conspiracy case. I became a complainant. They said, 'let's take him' regarding you. Şekip is a witness.

Ali Koç: Where are they going to take me?

Aziz Yıldırım: To the police station.

Ali Koç: Why?

Aziz Yıldırım: I said if you do such a thing, I will withdraw the complaint.

Ali Koç: This community stood by you because you were the president of Fenerbahçe.

Aziz Yıldırım: I said I am a complainant, to the prosecutor, to the judge. They said that word there. They said we will call Mr. Ali too. I said, 'don't you dare.' Şekip Mosturoğlu is a witness.

Ali Koç: I want to say something. 103 real people. They complained about me to Cimer before 2018.

Aziz Yıldırım: Is my name there?

Ali Koç: I want to ask something, he holds me responsible for the July 3rd case. That I am doing all the operations, that my tape didn't come out.

Aziz Yıldırım: Let's identify the men.