Decision Day at Fenerbahçe: Will the New President be Yıldırım or Safi?

The ballot boxes are at the ready in Kadıköy. On the first day of the congress held yesterday, the administrative and financial reports were discussed, and the discharge of the Ali Koç and Sadettin Saran eras was made. According to the figures announced at the general assembly, the club's total debt is approximately 26.2 billion TL. One of the decisions made in the previous management period, the exit from the Banks Association agreement that took place on January 20, 2026, was a critical milestone for Fenerbahçe in terms of financial independence. It was also noted in the congress records that Ali Koç did not demand his receivable of approximately 80 million Euros from the club. On Saturday, both candidates took the stage and shared their projects with the community.

Aziz Yıldırım — "Our Fenerbahçe"

Aziz Yıldırım, the 32nd president of Fenerbahçe, is among the longest-serving presidents in club history. He sat in the presidency seat continuously for 20 years from 1998 to 2018; during this period, the club experienced 6 Super League championships (the last in 2013-14, with Ersun Yanal), 5 Turkish Cups and a UEFA Europa League semi-final (2012-13). He lost to Ali Koç in the 2018 election — the fatigue brought on by the 3 July process, the club's financial crisis and the desire for change were interpreted as the main reasons for his defeat. He also lost to Ali Koç in 2024; he is experiencing his third election in 2026. Yıldırım, who officially announced his candidacy on May 6, 2026, ran his campaign with the slogan "Our Fenerbahçe" and brought forward the motto "I have a debt to Fenerbahçe". Yıldırım, who said "Fenerbahçe has an obligation to be champion in the 2026-2027 season. I'm putting everything on the line for one year", stated that he had no intention of staying in office for many years and made a single-term presidency promise. On his board of directors principal list are Barış Göktürk, Mahmut Nedim Uslu, Nihat Özbağı, Mustafa Çağlar, Ahmet Önder Fırat, Cihan Kamer, Fatih Öztürk, Batuhan Özdemir, Tanju Kaya, Ahmet Murat İman, Özgür Peker, Yusuf Buğra Tanık, Mehmet Aydın and Mehmet Selim Kosif.

Hakan Safi — "My Fenerbahçe, Whatever You Want"

The businessman, whose full name is Mustafa Hakan Safi, was born in the Kasımpaşa district of Istanbul on April 28, 1973; he is 53 years old as of 2026. His family migrated from the Çakılkaya village of the Çamoluk district of Giresun to Istanbul in the 1960s; father Arif Safi laid the foundation of the family company by entering the excavation business with his brothers in the Kemerburgaz region. Safi, who started his educational life at FMV Özel Işık High School, is a graduate of Marmara University's Department of Economics. The businessman, who did his master's in English Business Administration at the same university, crowned his career with an Executive MBA he completed at Boston University School of Management in the USA. Safi, who started his professional career in 1996 at Safi Gayrimenkul, has been serving as chairman of the board of the group since 2005. Safi Holding operates in the logistics, port operation, maritime, energy, industry and real estate sectors; the Safiport brand is the group's port operation. He ranks 61st with a fortune of 750 million dollars on Forbes Turkey's 2025 "Richest 100 Turks" list. Safi, who has been a member of Fenerbahçe High Council of Divans since 1998 with registry number 9668, served on the board of directors under Ali Koç's presidency in the 2024-2025 season; he played an active role especially in Kerem Aktürkoğlu's transfer. The Safiport brand became the name sponsor of the Fenerbahçe Women's Basketball Team in the 2021-22 season. Safi, who ran his campaign with the slogan "My Fenerbahçe, Whatever You Want", emphasised sustainability instead of a single-term promise, stating that they aimed "to establish a long-term strong structure". In his candidacy speech, he announced that he had reached agreements with Merih Demiral, Luis Suárez and Mason Greenwood; he also announced that Paolo Maldini would provide consultancy as a "football ambassador". On his board of directors principal list are Ali Aytemiz, Metin Doğan, Agah Ruşen Çetin, Metin Sipahioğlu, Dağlarca Çağlar, Rahmi Mertay Türk, Mustafa Ömer Topbaş, Özgür Özaktaç, Mehmet Atakan Altınbaş, Orhan Turan, Selahattin Süleymanoğlu, Ogün Doğan, Şanser Özyıldırım and Taha Gökberk Doğan.

The new president, who will be determined on Sunday evening, will give direction to the future of Fenerbahçe, which has not been a champion in the Super League for 12 seasons, last experienced its championship in 2013-14, and is also going through a critical period financially with the current debt picture. The community will decide today between two different visions presented to it: Aziz Yıldırım with experience and the emphasis on club history, and Hakan Safi with business experience and an international network.

Image: hurriyet.com.tr