TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu Rejects Resignation Calls Amid Referee Crisis

Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu declared he will not resign despite a widening referee investigation that has seen former Referee Committee chief Ferhat Gündoğdu arrested and Super Lig referee Yasin Kol detained. Hacıosmanoğlu dismissed the allegations, stating Turkish football's 30-year problems cannot be blamed on him.

In a direct response to reporters, Hacıosmanoğlu said he would continue the fight for clean football and confirmed he remains at his post ahead of an extraordinary board meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The meeting is expected to address the administrative fallout and potential fixture schedule changes.

“Turkish football's 30-year filth cannot be dumped on me. I will not resign.”

Meanwhile, TFF Board Member Mevlüt Aktan, responsible for Strategic Planning and Development, resigned on October 6. Aktan accused the current leadership of failing to fulfill any promises made to delegates, citing a lack of vision, merit, and transparency. He described the federation as being run like a "family business."

Aktan called on the entire Board of Directors to resign and urged General Assembly members to initiate the process for an extraordinary elective congress. He also criticized the public exposure of individuals in ongoing betting and irregularity investigations before judicial conclusions are reached.