Demirören ‘will always be remembered in sports’

ISTANBUL

Turkish sports organizations and figures have expressed their sorrow over the passing of Demirören Holding’s founder Erdoğan Demirören, who was also a former football player and a member of the Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club (Beşiktaş JK) Council. 

Turkish Football Federation, which is chaired by Erdoğan Demirören’s son Yıldırım Demirören, the Turkish Basketball Federation and the Turkish Volleyball Federation released messages of condolence.

Beşiktaş JK, under whose colors Erdoğan Demirören had played football in his youth, released a statement on his demise.

“Erdoğan Demirören, the father of our former president and current chair of the Turkish Football Federation Yıldırım Demirören, and an esteemed industrialist of our country, will always be remembered for his contributions to Turkish sports,” the statement read.

Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, the other two big sports clubs in Turkey, which are labeled as the Big Three along with Beşiktaş, also offered their condolences.

The former coach of Beşiktaş’s basketball team, Ergin Ataman, recalled Erdoğan Demirören’s support to their team in the 2012 season when they won all three cups.

“I had the chance to work with him … We took a big responsibility with the Milangaz [sponsorship agreement] and we brought a big name, Deron Williams, [to the team]. We finished the season winning three cups. In his profile, he was like a member of the team. He was one of the figures that Turkish sports need. He was a real sportsman,” Ataman said.

The Beşiktaş JK basketball team won the title after 37 years after a $9 million agreement with Milangaz, a company of Demirören Holding, was signed with the club.

Many other sports clubs, including Bursaspor, Medipol Başakşehir and Antalyaspor, also released messages of condolence.