Fenerbahçe President Sadettin Saran announced on Dec. 31 that the club will hold an extraordinary congress at the end of the season, following his recent involvement in a high-profile drug investigation.
"I do not want an ongoing case against me to drag our club into another legal process," Saran said in a New Year’s message broadcast on Fenerbahçe TV.
Saran was first detained on Dec. 20 and released under judicial supervision, though he was re-arrested after a hair sample test came back positive for cocaine. He was released again on judicial control conditions, a move met with celebration by a large crowd of supporters gathered outside the courthouse.
Saran has repeatedly denied the allegations, disputing claims that he used drugs or that any illegal substances were discovered during a search of his home.
He recently underwent testing at a private laboratory and is now requesting that the Forensic Medicine Institute retest the samples to verify the results.
The announcement comes despite a widespread social media campaign by Fenerbahçe fans urging Saran to remain in his post.
Saran serves as chairman of the Saran Group — a conglomerate of 33 companies primarily focused on the media sector. He previously led Fenerbahçe’s football department under former president Aziz Yıldırım but was later expelled from the club following disputes.
His return to the club was marked by an eight-year legal battle that ended when the Court of Appeals ruled his expulsion was unfair. Last September, Saran secured the presidency by defeating Ali Koç.
