[75886] Aziz Yıldırım stirs up controversy over the history of Turkish league championships

Championship Wars: Aziz Yıldırım attacks the conduct of the Football Federation

In a series of statements published on the fan channels FENERBAHÇE HABERLERİ and FENERBAHÇE AŞKI, former Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yıldırım leveled sharp criticism at the way championships are counted in Turkey. Yıldırım argues that if the federation insists on a calculation based solely on the years after 1959, it will lead to a fundamental change in the historical tables.

According to Yıldırım, as quoted in FENERBAHÇE HABERLERİ, "If the federation says that championships are recorded from 1959 onwards, then Beşiktaş's two championships will go down the drain and a star will be removed from them." The claim focuses on the inconsistency that he alleges exists in recognizing earlier historical titles.

Beyond the issue of numbers, Yıldırım provided a broader historical perspective on Fenerbahçe's status in the Turkish public sphere. According to the FENERBAHÇE AŞKI channel, he claimed that the club has been suffering from political and sports-related persecution for decades: "Since the 1930s, there have been attempts to remove Fenerbahçe from the leagues, and Saraçoğlu had to intervene to save the situation."

Additionally, Yıldırım mentioned political events from the 1960s, where he claims the club president was sent to Yassıada following the military coup, as proof that Fenerbahçe is part of wider political power struggles. It is important to note that the reporting sources are identified with Fenerbahçe's staunch fan base, and therefore present a victim narrative that emphasizes the club's struggle against the establishment.