Trabzonspor Club President Ertugrul Dogan stated that they made very serious moves in terms of economy, saying, “We turned back from the edge of the cliff, we made nearly 9 billion in payments. Despite this, at least we got out of the Banks Union.” Dogan, along with Management Board members and former football player Ali Kemal Denizci, visited Ortahisar Mayor Ahmet Kaya in his office. Expressing his pleasure from the visit, Mayor Kaya said, “It is a great honor for us to host you in our municipality. Welcome, you have brought joy. No sentence constructed with 29 letters can describe the importance of Trabzonspor for our city and for us. We have a love for Trabzonspor. It is not only ours but everyone’s love for Trabzonspor in our city.”
Mayor Kaya noted that Dogan and his team are at the helm of a very important institution and are working selflessly. He emphasized that Ortahisar Municipality stands by Trabzonspor with all its resources during this process and will continue to do so, stating, “You are carrying out a very important duty at the head of a valuable institution, representing Trabzonspor very well. We know you volunteered to take on this role during a challenging period. You truly put your body, not just your hand, under the burden during a very difficult time. You have taken on a huge responsibility for our city and our Trabzonspor. We have been by your side with all our strength and effort, and we will continue to be. The whole city is with you; let me say that. We need a little time, but I sincerely believe that this team will accomplish great things. In this sense, as Ortahisar Municipality, we are fully with you and Trabzonspor with all our personnel and resources.”
Thanking Mayor Kaya for his hospitality and support, Trabzonspor Club President Ertugrul Dogan said, “We know how much of a Trabzonspor supporter you are. We know how devotedly you have been involved beyond your presidency.” Stating, “We really took office during a very difficult period,” Dogan added, “We made very serious moves in terms of economy. We turned back from the edge of the cliff, to be clear. We made nearly 9 billion in payments, and it’s almost going towards 10 billion. Nevertheless, we at least got out of the Banks Union. We escaped a yearly interest burden of 700-800 million, but it’s not over. We have a debt that has continued from previous years, which has now reached significant amounts, around 2.2 billion. In addition, Trabzonspor has a remaining debt of about 900 million to 1 billion lira in the market. These will be resolved. Like in previous periods, we have projects ready to be implemented shortly next year. I can say this openly and clearly: we have the infrastructure ready to eliminate the debt entirely within next year.”
“We Need the Support of the Entire Community”
In the upcoming period, President Dogan expressed the need for the support of the entire city and the Trabzonspor community for the work to be done, continuing his speech: “In addition to these moves, I will ask for the support of the entire city on one issue. There are some places where we have to conduct operations on land, despite not being our main job, due to necessities, three in Istanbul and one here. We are currently continuing the infrastructure work for these in Istanbul. After the congress, we will likely create a public opinion in Trabzon with all the mayors, chamber, and stock exchange presidents.”
Dogan pointed out that significant support has been given to Istanbul teams for years but that Trabzonspor has not benefited from this support, highlighting the widening gap over the years: “For years, all Istanbul teams have received such support, but in reality, Trabzonspor has never benefited from this. The last land we acquired was 29 years ago during the period of Faruk Bey when our president was the mayor of Istanbul. Besides that, Trabzonspor has not received anything; it hasn’t been taken or acquired. I am not saying this to point fingers at the past; I believe everyone was well-intentioned and wanted to do something. I have no doubt about that, but somehow our club could not benefit, and the gap widened. The community needs to recognize this reality and act as a united front. We need to close this gap as soon as possible. This is not something that can be accomplished solely by me or the Board of Management; it is something that the supporters and the Trabzonspor community can solve together. I will ask for everyone’s support on this.”
In response to Dogan’s call for support, Mayor Kaya said, “Rest assured, Ekrem Bey is there, and he is very sensitive about Trabzonspor; he will provide all the support he can. I can say this with confidence on his behalf.” Dogan presented a flower to Mayor Kaya and wished him success in his duties, while Mayor Kaya gifted President Dogan with a silver filigree as a memento of the visit.
