Mehmet Suat Özcan, who cares about the future rather than the past, has been following women's football closely for years and most recently served as Sporting Director at ALG Sports, was our guest. Stating that they set out with the slogan "Not Me; We", Özcan explained her knowledge and experiences about women's football for you.
First of all, who is Mehmet Suat Özcan? Let him tell us.
I was born in Elbistan in 1965. I am married and the father of two children. I also have a grandchild. I completed my education in Istanbul since my primary school years. The most important part of my education; I am a graduate of Fatih Vatan High School. I mention this from the beginning because this high school is very important in shaping my education and sports life. I played on the school football team at Vatan High School. Apart from that, I brought many medals to my school through athletics. My connection with Vatan High School continued after I finished school. I served as the president of the parent-teacher association for two terms. We came together with former graduates and established the Fatih Vatan High School Alumni Association. I continued my studies under the roof of this association for two semesters. My "licensed athlete" adventure began at Mimar Sinan Sports Club, which was founded in 1928 and where my father was the club president. With the death of my father in 2001, my "sports club management" qualification began. After being the parent-teacher association manager at Fatih Vatan High School, I started working as a sports club manager as a next step. In 2005, I became a founding member of the Fatih Clubs Association and took part in its management.
I also served as a member of the sports commission.
I worked in Bakırköy Municipality Press and Public Relations Department for 30 years of my career path. I also served as a Fatih Municipality Republican People's Party (CHP) Council Member between 2009 and 2014. While I was a member of the parliament, I actively worked on the sports commission. In order to provide economic support to our sports clubs in Fatih district, I issued the "reward regulation" with the common decision of all political parties.
As a result of these studies, I took part in the board of directors of the Istanbul Amateur Sports Clubs Federation (IASKF). Since then, both myself and my family have remained involved in sports. While my son continues his life as a football coach; My nephew, who is involved in sports, also served as a referee.
How did you get involved in women's football? How did you take the first step? What did you do?
My step to get involved in women's football started again at Fatih Vatan High School. It started when Ali Haydar Şahin, who was both a high school literature teacher and a coach at the time, invited me to be the president of the school women's football team. During this period, on the occasion of my continued management of the men's football teams, we met with Aziz Karaca and presented him the offer. After Aziz Karaca served in this position for a short period, I took over the Presidency of Fatih Vatan Sports Club in 2013.
The important part here was to determine the colleagues we will work with in the management. We set out with the slogan "Not Me, We". Our first job was to transform the team of Fatih Vatan High School into a "sports club" identity by changing the statute. After this period, Fatih Vatan High School took its place in the sports community as Fatih Vatan Sports Club. While establishing the management, "We are a big family." We created our boards by saying. Perhaps for the first time in a football club, more than one female manager took an active part in our team.
Under my chairmanship, our board of directors consisted of the following names: Seda Kurman, Şükrüye Ergin, Nihal Erk, Mehmet Saka, Hakan Cemal Ergin, Binnur Ceyhan, Yaşar Kara, Hasan Büyükdoğan, Namık Ayanoğlu, Ahmet Köşker, Ali Haydar Şahin, Ali Özev, Aziz Karaca, Haydar Uzun.
As Fatih Vatan Sports Club, our competition in the leagues has started. After competing in the 3rd League for two terms, we succeeded in being promoted from the 3rd League to the 2nd League as the undefeated champion in the 2015-2016 season. As a team of managers, coaches and athletes, we had become a complete family. This enabled us to reach the cup without any defeat in the 2016-2017 football season and to be promoted to the 1st League, which was the top league at that time.
I would like to express my endless gratitude to my fellow board members, as well as our fans and local media, for these successes. Our matches were held in a festival atmosphere. Our fans; He was offering sandwiches, cakes, pastries and stuffed foods that my wife and our managers prepared at home to the spectators who came during the halftime of the matches. Our fans were excited with the music played and supported their teams.
After our promotion to the Turkish 1st League, it was time to leave in the 2017-2018 football season. I left the chairmanship to Mr. Hasan Büyükdoğan, who was actively involved in our board of directors at that time.
What is the perspective on women's football in Turkey? Is it given the necessary value?
In Türkiye, interest and interest in women's football is increasing day by day. With the participation of big teams in the league, women's football started to gain momentum. Despite this, the perspective on women's football in Turkey is very different. "Do girls play football? What do girls do in football? Football is men's business." We also encounter people who say: In order to break these thoughts, it is necessary to focus more on women's football and expand the work.
How to change this perspective?
For the development and growth of women's football; Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of National Education, sports clubs and media must definitely cooperate.
How do you evaluate the development journey of women's football?
Although women's football is going through painful periods in terms of development, TFF's new staff and technical team are undertaking important projects in this regard. Under the leadership of TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi; Nukhet Küçükel Ezberci, board member responsible for women's football, Necla Kırağası, our women's national teams coach, and her team made important strides towards the development of women's football.
What are the shortcomings and problems of women's football in Turkey?
In my opinion, the biggest problem of women's football is that it still has an amateur status and the infrastructure work has not been fully implemented. Moreover, one of the biggest shortcomings of women's football is that it is still not publicized throughout the country. When these three main problems are solved, other secondary problems will be solved by themselves.
What kind of projects do you think should be done regarding women's football? How should the gap between Europe and men's football be bridged?
TFF should carry out a serious status study and separate women's football. Infrastructure work in women's football should be prioritized and encouraged. As a result of these studies, the football pool will expand in a short time and the gap between us and Europe will be closed. Of course, organizations such as the Turkish Cup should also be included in women's football.
Fatih Vatanspor has reached a good point. You raised important and successful names there. What difficulties were experienced in this process? How did Fatih Vatanspor come to this situation?
Fatih Vatanspor encountered many difficulties in this process. Actually, there was only one way to overcome the difficulties; It was about unity and solidarity. If we list a few reasons underlying these difficulties: We were having difficulty finding a vehicle to go to away matches and paying our athletes their allowances and salaries. We had problems purchasing sports equipment. We knew this: Our road was long and difficult, but we had to be successful. Our team's spirit of unity and solidarity enabled us to overcome these difficulties and achieve great success.
After this difficult period of Fatih Vatanspor, we came together with our board members Yaşar Kara and Hasan Büyükdoğan and paid all our debts with the money collected during the dinner boat trip we took under the name of "championship night".
We entrusted the presidency of our team to Hasan Büyükdoğan, who has brought our team to this point on our way to the 1st League. Today, Hasan Büyükdoğan led the team with the motto of championship every season in the Super League and ensured that our team appeared in the finals. Last season, we came out of the Champions League as the runner-up in Türkiye.
You won consecutive championships in Gaziantep ALG. You took the team to the 1st League and the European arena. How did this success happen? What path did you follow?
The entire sports community should know that ALG Spor has gained a new momentum in women's football. I tried to offer my experience, knowledge and knowledge for the success of ALG Spor. In fact, the biggest share of ALG Spor's success belongs to Club President Ali Gözcü. Thanks to working harmoniously hand in hand with President Ali Gözü, we found ourselves in the championships and the European arena. The path we followed in this process continued with the unity that emerged from the agreement between Ali Gözcü's and my ideas in the team structure. Then the successes kept coming one after another.
How do you see the status? What are the deficiencies in the status of women's leagues in TFF? In your opinion, what method should be followed when preparing the status? On this subject, "It would be better like this." Do you have any points?
The status has been renewed every year since it was first prepared. In fact, both our TFF managers and football club managers are changing and developing with women's football. While preparing this status, more consultation should be done with our clubs, their opinions should be taken and these ideas should be implemented by considering their suitability.
I believe that Necla Kırağası will achieve great things in her new position.
How do you evaluate the media's perspective on women's football? Does women's football receive the necessary value in the media? What do you think should be done about this?
The way the media views women's football has always saddened me. In addition to tabloid news, the media is trying to take part in women's football by only covering the negativities experienced in the women's football game. Of course, I would like to thank the local and national press for covering women's football.
I have said for years that if women's football was talked about for two minutes in every sports program, the point we have reached in women's football would be at a different level. To give an example: When we went to the 1st League as the champion of Fatih Vatan Spor, I sent a message for 2 hours to publish the championship news. Finally I published it. By keeping this championship on the agenda on every platform, including social media, more than 10 women's football teams were established that year. This is the power of the media.
While the football federations of countries such as Norway, Australia, the United States of America (USA) and Brazil provide the assurance of equal salaries for male and female national athletes; Many female football players in Turkey have to work extra jobs because they cannot make a living from football. What are the obstacles to Turkey's implementation of equal salaries for male and female football players regarding social justice?
The only word to say on this subject is "Professionalism". The understanding needs to change in order to make the gap between male and female football players equal. Sponsors need to contribute. The first duty in this, as always, falls to the press.
How can girls who are interested in football and want to become football players in the future be supported?
Women's football should first be encouraged in schools and continue in clubs. Each district must form at least one or two women's football teams. Girls whose dream is to play football should be recruited into clubs with the support of local governments.
How can our girls overcome the family pressure and environmental factors they experience when they want to become football players?
The most important factors for girls to become football players are environmental and neighborhood pressure. First of all, the families of our girls whose dream is to play football must be able to stand by their daughters against environmental factors and neighborhood pressure.
Are there any difficulties in the adaptation process of foreign female football players to Turkey? If so, how are these difficulties resolved?
Foreign football players are having difficulty adapting to Türkiye. Language and accommodation come first among these difficulties. It is necessary to solve these problems at the minimum level.
Do you think women's football in Turkey can reach the desired point one day?
I wholeheartedly believe that women's football in Türkiye will reach the desired point. In order to reach the desired point, people within the community must have an effective and authoritative understanding of women's football. The investment approach of those who take responsibility should be for the development of women's football.
I would like to thank WOMEN GOOL TV and its team, the WOMEN GOOL program broadcast on Tivi6 channel, AKKERMAN Media and Tuğba Köşebaş for your interest and interest in women's football.
