Galatasaray SK is a sports club based in Istanbul, Turkey that competes in Süper Lig, the most senior football league in Turkey. Since its founding in 1905, the club has had 37 different presidents. The club is owned by the club-members of Galatasay SK, and similarly to a limited liability company, they elect the president by a ballot. The president has the responsibility for the overall management of the club, including formally signing contracts with players and staff. In Turkey, it is customary for the president to watch the games in which the first-team participates, together with the president from the opposing team.

Ali Sami Yen was Galatasaray SK's founder and one of the first players.

Since its foundation, Galatasaray SK has been owned and operated only by its members (all Turkish), unlike most European football clubs. Ali Sami Yen remains the longest-running president of The Lions (14 years, from 1905 to 1919).

List of presidents

Below is the official presidential history of Galatasaray SK, from when Ali Sami Yen took over at the club in 1905, until the present day.

Date

Name (club membership no.)

Galatasaray Football Team

Galatasaray Men's Basketball Team

Galatasaray Women's Basketball Team

Galatasaray Men's Volleyball Team

Galatasaray Women's Volleyball Team

Galatasaray Waterpolo Team

Galatasaray Swimming Team

Galatasaray Athletics Team

Galatasaray Rowing Team

Galatasaray Sailing Team

Istanbul League /Istanbul Cup/ Milli Küme

TSYD Cup

Turkish Football Championship

Turkish Super Cup

Turkish Cup

UEFA Cup

UEFA Super Cup

UEFA Champions League

Istanbul League /Turkish Basketball Championship/Turkish Basketball League/Turkish Cup/President's Cup

Turkish Women's Basketball League/Turkish Cup/Turkish President Cup/EuroLeague Women/FIBA EuroCup/European SuperCup

Istanbul League/Turkish Women's Volleyball League/CEV Challenge CUP

Istanbul League/Turkish Women's Volleyball League

Turkish Waterpolo League

Turkish Swimming Championship Winter/Summer

Turkish Athletics Championship İstanbul/Turkey Winter/Summer

Turkish Rowing Championship Winter/Summer

Turkish Sailing Championship (Summer)

Men's

Men's

Women's

Men's

Women's

Men's

Men's and Women's

Men's and Women's

Men's and Women's

Men's and Women's

30 October 1905- 15 May 1919

Ali Sami Yen(1) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

15 May 1919- 10 December 1922

Refik Cevdet Kalpakçıoğlu(7) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

10 December 1922- 23 April 1925

Yusuf Ziya Öniş(235) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

23 April 1925- 17 July 1925

Ali Sami Yen(1) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

17 July 1925- 5 September 1925

Ahmet Robenson(9)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

5 September 1925- 25 September 1926

Ali Haydar Şekip(259)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

25 September 1926- 1 January 1928

Adnan İbrahim Pirioğlu(10)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

1 January 1928- 25 October 1929

Necmettin Sadık Sadak(350)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

25 October 1929- 18 July 1930

Abidin Daver(8)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

18 July 1930- 26 June 1931

Ahmet Kara(17) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

26 June 1931- 15 January 1932

Tahir Kevkep(513)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

15 January 1932- 19 February 1932

Ali Haydar Barşal(30) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

19 February 1932- 11 March 1932

Ahmet Kara(17) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

11 March 1932- 3 February 1933

Fethi İsfendiyaroğlu(40)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

3 February 1933- 12 August 1934

Ali Haydar Barşal(30) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

12 August 1934- 8 February 1935

Refik Cevdet Kalpakçıoğlu(7) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

8 February 1935- 3 April 1937

Prof. Dr. Ethem Menemencioğlu(1185)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

3 April 1937- 15 December 1937

Saim Gogen(380)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

15 December 1937- 8 April 1939

Sedat Ziya Kantoğlu(1277) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

8 April 1939- 27 August 1939

Nazmi Nuri Köksal(1005)

x/x/

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

27 August 1939- 21 October 1939

Adnan Akıska(437))

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

21 October 1939- 10 May 1940

Sedat Ziya Kantoğlu(1277) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

10 May 1940- 21 November 1942

Tevfik Ali Çınar(1539)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

21 November 1942- 1 January 1944

Osman Dardağan(762)

x//x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

1 January 1944- 23 September 1944

Sedat Ziya Kantoğlu(1277) 3. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

23 September 1944- 31 August 1946

Muslihittin Peykoğlu(416)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

31 August 1946- 21 November 1950

Suphi Batur(548) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

21 November 1950- 30 March 1953

Yusuf Ziya Öniş(235) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

30 March 1953- 30 November 1954

Ulvi Yenal(835) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

x

x

30 November 1954- 11 January 1957

Refik Selimoğlu(548) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x/

x

/

x

x

x

x

Date

Name (club membership no.)

Galatasaray Professional Football Team

Galatasaray Men's Basketball Team

Galatasaray Women's Basketball Team

Galatasaray Men's Volleyball Team

Galatasaray Women's Volleyball Team

Galatasaray Waterpolo Team

Galatasaray Swimming Team

Galatasaray Athletics Team

Galatasaray Rowing Team

Galatasaray Sailing Team

Istanbul League /Istanbul Cup/ Milli Küme

TSYD Cup

Turkish Football Championship

Turkish Super Cup

Turkish Cup

UEFA Cup

UEFA Super Cup

UEFA Champions League

Istanbul League /Turkish Basketball Championship/Turkish Basketball League/Turkish Cup/President's Cup

Turkish Women's Basketball League/Turkish Cup/Turkish President Cup/EuroLeague Women/FIBA EuroCup/European SuperCup

Istanbul League/Turkish Championship/Turkish Men's Volleyball League

Istanbul League/Turkish Women's Volleyball League/CEV Challenge CUP

Turkish Waterpolo League

Turkish Swimming Championship Winter/Summer

Turkish Athletics Championship İstanbul/Turkey Winter/Summer

Turkish Rowing Championship Winter/Summer

Turkish Sailing Championship (Summer)

Professional Seasons

Men's

Men's

Women's

Men's

Women's

Men's

Men's and Women's

Men's and Women's

Men's and Women's

Men's and Women's

11 January 1957- 2 January 1960

Sadık Giz(1162)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

2 January 1960- 27 January 1962

Refik Selimoğlu(548) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/

x

/

/

x

x

x

x

x

27 January 1962- 13 February 1965

Ulvi Yenal(835) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

quarter-final

x/

x

/

/

x

x

x

x

13 February 1965- 18 January 1969

Suphi Batur(548) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x/

x

/

/

x

x

x

18 January 1969- 3 February 1973

Selahattin Beyazıt(3597) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

quarter-final

x/x//

x

x/x/

x

x

x

3 February 1973- 14 June 1975

Mustafa Pekin(1747)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

14 June 1975- 27 January 1979

Selahattin Beyazıt(3597) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/x/x

x

x

x

27 January 1979- 15 March 1986

Prof. Dr. Ali Uras(3098)

x

x

x

x

x

x/x//

x

x

x

x

x

x

15 March 1986- 17 March 1990

Dr. Ali Tanrıyar(1765)

x

x

x

x

semi-final

x/x//

x/x/

x

x

x

17 March 1990- 16 March 1996

Alp Yalman(3660)

x

x

x

quarter-final

x/x//

//

x

x

x

x

16 March 1996- 17 July 2001

Faruk Süren(5269)

x

quarter-final

///Final Four/x/x

x

x

x

17 July 2001- 23 March 2002

Mehmet Cansun(4697)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

23 March 2002- 22 March 2008

Özhan Canaydın(4569)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

22 March 2008- 18 May 2011

Adnan Polat(7708)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x///x//Runner Up

x

x/x/Bronze

x

x

x

x

18 May 2011 – 25 October 2014

Ünal Aysal(11629)

x

x

quarter final

25 October 2014 – 23 May 2015

Prof. Dr. Duygun Yarsuvat(3666)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

23 May 2015 – 20 January 2018

Dursun Aydın Özbek(6602) 1. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

20 January 2018 – 19 June 2021

Mustafa Cengiz(10649)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

19 June 2021 – 11 June 2022

Burak Elmas(9320)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

11 June 2022 –

Dursun Aydın Özbek(6602) 2. Presidency

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

References

• The Presidents