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Former Fenerbahce President Aziz Yildirim has announced that he will run for the club presidency in the next extraordinary elective general assembly.
The assembly is set for June 6-7, while calling on other potential candidates to unite around a shared ticket.
In a written statement, Yildirim said he felt a moral responsibility toward Fenerbahce supporters at a time when the club was going through a difficult period, adding that concerns over the club’s future had led him to step forward.
"I am a candidate for the presidency of Fenerbahce Sports Club for a legendary 120th year in which we will show that the Fenerbahce community is united and together," Yildirim said.
Aziz Yildirim, 73, is a Turkish businessman who owns construction company Maktas Engineering and naval shipbuilder Dearsan Shipyard.
He is widely regarded as the legendary president of Fenerbahce, having led the club for two decades from 1998 to 2018.
During his tenure, he oversaw the reconstruction of Fenerbahce’s home stadium, Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, on Istanbul’s Asian side; the construction of Ulker Sports Arena for the club’s basketball branch; and major infrastructure investments, including training facilities, club properties and land acquisitions.
Yildirim also presided over one of the most successful eras in the club’s history, with Fenerbahce winning 92 trophies across football, basketball and volleyball during his 20 years in charge.
Four of those titles came at the European level and one on the world stage, making him the most decorated president in the club’s history.
In 2018, he was succeeded by Ali Koc, who defeated him in the club’s electoral congress and remained in office for seven years before losing the September 2025 election to incumbent president Sadettin Saran.
Fenerbahce, one of Türkiye’s leading clubs, has struggled to end its decade-long football title drought since winning its last Super Lig championship in the 2013-14 season under Aziz Yildirim’s presidency.
The club has not yet mathematically lost the title race this season, but the recent 3-0 away defeat to archrival Galatasaray dealt a major blow to its championship hopes.
With two matches remaining, Galatasaray holds a four-point lead over Fenerbahce, and even a draw in its remaining fixtures would be enough to secure a fourth consecutive league title.
After the defeat, President Sadettin Saran and the club’s board decided to hold an extraordinary electoral congress on June 6-7, with four candidates emerging so far, including Hakan Safi, chairman of port operator Safi Holding, Baris Gokturk, chairman of steelmaker Gokturk Holding, and Mehmet Ali Aydinlar, chairman of hospital chain Acibadem.
Aydinlar announced Tuesday that he had withdrawn from the race as criticism intensified over his role as Turkish Football Federation (TFF) chairman between June 2011 and January 2012, during the height of a match-fixing probe later described by Turkish authorities as being orchestrated by the terrorist group FETO.
Following Yildirim’s announcement, the club’s shares listed on Borsa Istanbul rose 10%.
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