Erden Timur's statement on Galatasaray and the 'black market ticket' issue on the agenda: 'I would shout it from the rooftops'

Former Galatasaray Sportif AŞ Deputy Chairman Erden Timur made statements during a live broadcast on TV 100. 

Timur responded to Koç's claims that Dursun Özbek and Mehmet Büyükekşi met at a shoe factory in Urfa, saying, "It was not a secret meeting." Speaking about the black market ticket allegations on the agenda, Timur said, "Black market activity happens in every match. This matter took place within Galatasaray itself. People say it was investigated and covered up. If that were the case, you wouldn't do that. Can you go and file a complaint!" Regarding the "structure" allegations, Timur stated, "I think that within the refereeing mechanism, there is a structure that shows bias toward certain parties in both appointments and decisions."

Here are Timur's statements:

"LET IT NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS SENT WITH A SIGNATURE"

'In his press conference, Ali Koç mentioned a meeting between you, Dursun Özbek, and Mehmet Büyükekşi at a shoe factory in Şanlıurfa. Did this meeting take place?'

"Such a meeting did take place. It did not happen at Büyükekşi's place, the shoe factory. It was not a secret meeting. That day, while we were in Urfa, the previous evening, I was also in the Clubs Association WhatsApp group. In fact, Ahmet Ketenci from Fenerbahçe was there too. At that time, there were issues regarding collecting signatures. President Dursun said a day before that the part about going should be done in a way that is appropriate and correct according to etiquette. That is why he said let's not do it with a signature, let's tell them, and let them set the election date. I don't remember exactly what was written, but in summary, let it not look like it was sent with a signature. If our goal is to elect a new administration, which is how Galatasaray exercised its will for a new administration."

"WE ARE NOT SAYING WE ARE OBJECTIVE"

"I looked recently, I have spoken on television a total of 13-14 times in 2 years, appeared on screen at the end of matches. If there are any I missed, it's 15. I have always been careful not to meet with anyone during my tenure. Those who don't like me, don't like me for this reason. I was explaining that one should act this way as a matter of principle. After winning the championship, you go and attend 5-6 places, other dynamics come into play, people have things they want to explain. Sometimes it causes harm, there is an administration. That's why I couldn't attend. Whether people believe in sincerity or not, there is nothing I can do. There is no environment as subjective as this in my life. If I do something wrong, it's right according to Galatasaray fans; no matter how right I do it, it's wrong according to Fenerbahçe. One of the reasons I came here is that Fenerbahçe will also be discussed. There is a vortex that Turkish football has entered, I think there are two main culprits, and for us to get out of that vortex, the future, what needs to be done, what is happening in the world... We only discuss referees. People's main topic 40 years ago was referees. It is at least as important as the future of football. I also wanted to speak because of my Galatasaray identity. We are not saying we are objective, we are trying to be objective with data. There are certainly mistakes and shortcomings, but I can clearly say that this public opinion being created, it's done with referees, black market, etc. This is done with public opinion first, then pressure. The fact that everything is happening all at once is either an exceptional statistic, fate, or a plan. It's as if an object is approaching."

"IT TAKES IT TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT POINT"

"This partisanship, one team on one side, the others on the other... That power of public opinion takes things to a completely different point. I came here as a fan."

"We have always had our mistakes. I intend for everyone, not just Galatasaray fans, to understand me. I am trying to speak to be understood. A TFF president, or the president of any institution, has no right to say the slightest word to any club president, let alone threaten them. Because that is a justice mechanism. Conversations about clubs should not be held either. In law, they call it 'prejudging the case' (ihsas-ı rey), it is revealing your vote in advance; perception changes many things. Finally, these changes, MHK issues, there are different topics there. A change is being made because it is thought to be close to Galatasaray."

"LET'S CHOOSE REFEREES WHO HAVE OFFICIATED CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALS"

"Let's choose referees who have officiated Champions League semi-finals and finals. Let Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş choose 3 each. Let's not provide the positions, let them dig up everything from the last 10-20 years. Let it come out in whose favor and against whom it is."

"In previous years, when foreign VAR is mentioned, it's fine, robot referees are fine, but if we exert the same pressure, if we say 'do this at home and that at the mall,' it will be the same. On the other hand, if Turkish referees are being disparaged, we need to see the truth. We shouldn't be unfair."

"BLACK MARKET HAPPENS IN EVERY MATCH"

"Black market happens in every match. This matter took place within Galatasaray itself. Fatih Altaylı said it, Hayri Ağabey said it at the Divan Board. If there was something Galatasaray had to fear, it wouldn't bring it to the agenda. I'm not saying it didn't happen, it certainly happened, it happens in every team. When this topic was discussed by chance, I was at the club 3-5 days later. I said at the club, 'Let's make a call, let all clubs come and fight this, let this matter be investigated.' It was investigated, and a decision of non-prosecution was made. I cannot argue with the law, if they can't find the document... Slander is also like this, you cannot prove the opposite, what if it sticks... If there were such a matter, I would shout it from the rooftops. I said I would stand like a nail in front of President Dursun if something wrong happened. I didn't get such a scent. If there were such a thing, I would shout it from the rooftops."

"IT WOULD NOT BE A CIVILIZED BEHAVIOR"

"President Dursun applied to the Prosecutor's Office, saying, 'Let everything be investigated, and let the friends who make the allegations present the documents.' There can be no more civilized behavior than saying, 'If there is an unfair defamation, let it be investigated, and if the subject is true, let that be investigated too.' People say it was investigated and covered up. If that were the case, you wouldn't do that. Can you go and file a complaint!"

"The 2022/23, 2023/24 revenue of the 3 big clubs... In 23/24, Galatasaray's stadium revenue is 52.7 million euros, Fenerbahçe's is 36, and Beşiktaş's is 25.6 million euros. These are data taken from balance sheets and publicly available. Galatasaray's broadcasting revenue is 9.5, Fenerbahçe's is 9, and Beşiktaş's is 7.3. UEFA revenue: Galatasaray 35, Fenerbahçe 12.4, Beşiktaş 8.2. Product sales: Galatasaray 70.5, Fenerbahçe 61.2, Beşiktaş 30.4. These are all in million euros. Sponsorship revenue: Galatasaray 54.3, Fenerbahçe 35.8, Beşiktaş 33. Training/rental income: Beşiktaş zero, Fenerbahçe 2.8, Galatasaray 6.3. Total operating revenue: Galatasaray 228.3 million euros, Fenerbahçe 158.6, Beşiktaş 111.3 million euros. In player sales, Galatasaray 32.6, Fenerbahçe 57, Beşiktaş 3.1 million euros."

"IF I WERE ON THE FENERBAHÇE SIDE..."

"If I were on the Fenerbahçe side, I would evaluate it like that, that there is an influence, etc. I did not make a sentence like 'We will not let this league finish.' The question was, 'Will this league finish with these referee mistakes?' and I said, 'It won't, we won't let it finish.'"

"Mr. İbrahim Hatipoğlu said we haven't even talked about the method yet. Acun Bey sent a message, yes. Acun Bey said, 'We sent the positions.' The method I'm talking about is not that. Let everyone's phone be examined, and let that be examined too. We need to overcome the football polarization in our public opinion."

"THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT IS SINGULAR"

"We said let phones and accounts be investigated. We applied to the TFF in writing. We went to the Chief Prosecutor. He told us, 'Something needs to happen for us to intervene,' I think it was the Deputy Chief Prosecutor. This needs to be done so that it can be disciplined. The criminal complaint is singular. Everyone needs to be investigated."

"If we don't end the manipulation of public opinion, the football public will always talk about this"

"No revolution happens by thinking and planning 100 percent. You have to bare your forehead, open your collar. There is a saying by Rumi, he says the path disappears when you set out. As long as everyone puts it out there, everyone makes a call saying 'let us be investigated.' After that, everyone applies. I applied, he applied, this one applied. Those who don't apply will be accepted as 'having done it' anyway. If we don't end the manipulation of public opinion, the football public will always talk about this."

SPOKE ABOUT "STRUCTURE" ALLEGATIONS

"You used the word 'structure' for the first time. Are you talking about the same structure as Fenerbahçe? Who was the structure you were talking about?"

"When I hear 'structure,' I always think of the structuralism movement in philosophy, that's what comes to mind. It's a philosophical movement. I said clique, I said structure. I said clique first. I said construct. I've talked a lot, said a lot of things. The dates you eat in the summer come back to haunt you."

"It's not a huge, massive structure. That's why I said clique. It's something I've internalized by hearing it without being inside it. So, what I called this structure is true. It was something said for so many years. It must be something that benefits everyone from time to time, if it only served one side, they would take it. This was a theory. If there is a structure within something, it serves every side so that it can continue for many years. The structure I'm talking about is not the structure created by the TFF or this or that. I think that within the refereeing mechanism, there is a structure that shows bias toward certain parties in both appointments and decisions."

"You said Yusuf Günay shows reaction in the TFF regarding issues related to us."

"It's very clear. Is this true? No. It is not right for Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş to have representatives in the TFF. However, such a thing exists. Those representatives are 10 times more sensitive to issues related to their own clubs. I guess they make the representatives of the big clubs deputy chairmen. I said this sincerely. To say 'aaaaaa' to this... I said 5 plus 5 equals 10, they say 'how can it be 10,' doesn't it equal 10! We said it honestly, they should say it too. It's being portrayed in such a way... I'm saying this is not right, having a representative in the TFF. As for Mr. Yusuf, I have debated with him a lot, he is an extremely decent person. We need to speak the truth openly, this has been like this for 20 years. For 20 years five plus five equals ten, when I say it... When we look for something behind everything, we can't get anywhere."

RESPONDED TO ALİ KOÇ

"Do you think of Ali Koç when you go to sleep at night? Ali Koç had said, 'Think of me when you go to sleep at night.'"

"No. I think of Icardi. Sometimes Torreira. Of course I don't think of him..."

"How would you describe your relationship with Ali Koç?"

"In the 'What money you spent' part at the beginning, people said he said it to do something, and I said, 'It's not a malicious statement.' I always start by trusting people. People always question those I call good people. My success rate is low. I always say very good person, I am 90 percent wrong. It actually happened because of this, unfortunately, our Galatasaray politics also works hard. Rumors that are 1 million percent slander, this time from that side... It wasn't very easy to hit Erden, fan reaction, etc. Politics from here, etc. I think they think those are true. Personally, I made a great effort for the football environment to soften. Whatever we are taught, we were taught to act correctly even if evil is done to us. I am interested in Sufism, there are many sides I can't manage, but what motivates me the most is that if we tense up more, people will kill each other. I spoke a total of 14 times, 5-6 were about referees, the rest were transfers, this and that. In my position at Galatasaray, I am the person who has spoken the least in 20-30 years. I have spoken 1 out of 6-7 times."

TİMUR'S STATEMENT ON PRESIDENCY

"Do you have a dream of presidency at Galatasaray?"

"Everyone wants it. Who wouldn't want it?"

"We said we need a guaranteed player for the championship"

"We said we need a guaranteed player for the championship. We said let's define what a guaranteed player means. Players who play in the 5 major leagues, get playing time, have an impact, and are in the status of a main player. Let's go for these players. You will buy them, you have no spending limit. You will build a deep squad. Icardi came for 10 with big negotiations. 2 million euros remained for other players. These 5 major leagues are not possible for 2 million euros. Then you have to buy a player without a transfer fee. To buy a player without a transfer fee, if there are 100 in the pool, it drops to 5. The scout who chooses this, the coach who approves it, chooses one out of 5 people. A player without a transfer fee also has a signing bonus."

WAS THERE A DOUBLE CONTRACT?

"Was there another contract with the association and another with the AŞ (Inc.)? Was a contract made with the AŞ to avoid UEFA's FFP limit? Was there a double contract with Icardi, Zaniolo, Tete, Zaha?"

"We made an image rights contract, and we stated this openly. Image rights contracts were made not from the association but from Sportif AŞ. If you do such a thing with the association, they won't even leave you until morning, they will hang you at the Divan. They would hang you for 20-25 days as an example to the world. This is the most critical issue. A Fenerbahçe journalist also said this, it was never pursued. It is pursued at Galatasaray. I don't say wrong data. I might say half a lira more or less as a figure, it doesn't stay in my mind, but all of it was done through Sportif AŞ. No one can slander anyone's honor. Shady business means dishonesty. Can it be, man, it means dishonesty. If you keep talking constantly without proving it, every person should react to inhumane behavior. The attitude I expect from everyone. No one should talk in vain. The one who says it will prove it. All image rights contracts were made from Sportif AŞ, it is not related to FFP. Just in the last election, in the Habertürk broadcast of Fenerbahçe, when Ali Koç and President Aziz went on air, President Aziz said 'something like this about Mourinho,' and Ali Koç said, 'This is quite legal, it's legal, there is nothing in this.' This happened 5 months ago. This existed before me too. FIFA recognizes the image rights contract. The image rights contract is subject to the tax of the country where the company is located. Fenerbahçe is negotiating with Talisca, right? They will buy Talisca, will they pay his salary from there or from here? Because why? The salary in Saudi Arabia is zero tax, the salary in Turkey is taxed. Tax in Turkey is 1.67, you take back the withholding tax, it's 1.33. This is the exact calculation. 20 percent of 1.67. It's zero there. Is it legal, it's one hundred percent legal. Is it ethical, it is ethical. Of course it's ethical."

News Source: 12punto