Hidayet Türkoğlu retains Turkish Basketball Federation reins
Turkish Basketball Federation President casts a ballot during the Ordinary General Assembly, Ankara, Türkiye, Oct. 8, 2024. (AA Photo)


In a decisive vote at the Turkish Basketball Federation's Ordinary General Assembly held in Ankara, Hidayet Türkoğlu has been re-elected as president.

Facing off against Ahmet Efe Aydan, Türkoğlu secured his position with 133 votes, while Aydan garnered just 29.

The assembly, mandated to occur within three months post the 2024 Paris Olympics, saw participation from 165 of the 177 delegates.

With three votes deemed invalid, the election confirmed Türkoğlu’s continued leadership in Turkish basketball.

Expressing his gratitude during a heartfelt speech, Türkoğlu said, "First, I want to extend my respect to everyone here. I came up with many emotions today, but I honestly don't know how to articulate them. I wish our basketball community was more open to communication. I believe we should not ignore the need for dialogue. We have always been transparent, honest and sincere. Rest assured, we will continue in this manner."

He acknowledged past mistakes but emphasized his commitment to accessibility, stating, "I can’t promise there won’t be mistakes in the future, but I have always been just a phone call away. I thank the community for bringing me and my team back to this stage. I don’t want to shed more tears here; I’m grateful."

Under Türkoğlu's leadership, the new board of directors will include notable figures such as Hakkı Harun Erdenay, Bilge Donuk, Hüseyin Beşok, Hüseyin Çağatay Özdoğru, Mehmet Fatih Öztürk, Mustafa Sarımermer, Rıza Selim Demir, Serdar Karagöz, Tolga Egemen and Yılmaz Argüden, marking a promising future for Turkish basketball.