Dursun Aydın Özbek: “Thanks to our sponsorship collaborations, both our club and the brands benefit”
Galatasaray President Dursun Aydın Özbek explained the strategic importance of sponsorship in sports at Brand & Sports Summit 2026. The sponsorship target will exceed 100 million euros.
Dursun Aydın Özbek, President of Galatasaray Sports Club, who was a guest at the Corendon Sport Talks session at Brand & Sports Summit 2026, explained the strategic importance of sponsorship in sports.
Bringing together leading professionals from the worlds of sports and communication, the Brand & Sports Summit was held on 5–6 February 2026 at Kadıköy Paribu Art under the theme “Game Changers.” Building a strong bridge between the sports and communication industries, the summit once again maintained its role as a unique platform for sharing evolving approaches in sports, new business models, and inspiring practices.
Corendon Sport Talks, an important reflection of the innovative airline brand Corendon Airlines’ contributions to sports, one of the main supporters of the summit, was held as part of the Brand & Sports Summit. The session, moderated by Hürriyet Newspaper Sports Editor Mehmet Arslan on 6 February, featured Galatasaray Sports Club President Dursun Aydın Özbek as the guest. The session, titled “The Strategic Importance of Sponsorship in Sports,” addressed the critical role of sponsorship activities for clubs, their contribution to sustainable success, and Galatasaray’s long-term vision in this field.
The importance of support in achieving goals
Emphasising that the mission of Galatasaray Sports Club is to contribute to the popularity and expansion of sports and Olympic branches, Özbek said: “We aim to be successful in Türkiye and Europe. Strong support is needed to achieve these goals. Sponsorships come into play at this point. Our sponsors are very pleased to collaborate with a global brand like Galatasaray. Thanks to our sponsorship collaborations, both our club and the brands benefit.”
Target to increase sponsorship income above 100 million euros
Sharing important information about the club’s sponsorship revenues, Özbek stated that sponsorship support this season is in the range of 85–90 million euros and that their target is to increase this figure above 100 million euros. Emphasising that their sponsorship approach is not limited to logo visibility alone, Özbek said, “We attach importance to creating value together by developing projects with brands and establishing business partnerships.”
Innovations enhancing the stadium experience
Referring to investments aimed at improving the stadium experience, Özbek said that families have started to come to stadiums more frequently and that events have been redesigned accordingly. He also noted that sponsor visibility has been strengthened by increasing LED areas.
Drawing attention to the decline in broadcasting revenues, Özbek said, “Only 11–12 million euros of our 400-million-euro budget comes from live broadcasting revenues. Therefore, we focus on increasing non-operating income.”
All branches gathered in Aslantepe
Stating that the Riva and Florya projects are of strategic importance for the club, Özbek noted that these projects have begun to bear fruit. He said financial sustainability has been achieved and highlighted their facilities vision. He announced that the foundation of a major facility project, which will gather all branches of Galatasaray — active in 17 disciplines besides football — in Aslantepe and operate 365 days a year, will be laid in March–April. Özbek also added that projects such as the Mecidiyeköy and Kemerburgaz football facilities are progressing successfully.
Core mission: Success in Europe
Stating that they attach great importance to strengthening communication with young fans, Özbek said they have reached engagement figures surpassing many European clubs through digital projects and social media initiatives aimed at Generation Z. Emphasising that success in Europe is one of Galatasaray’s core missions, Özbek noted that they aim to achieve both financial discipline and sporting success simultaneously. Özbek said, “We have to build a competitive team capable of defeating the teams we face in UEFA competitions.”
Message to fans
At the end of his speech, Özbek delivered a special message to fans, stating that Galatasaray’s strength lies behind the passion of its supporters: “We grow together with our fans. As long as they stand by us, there is nothing we cannot achieve.”
A broadcast series adding value to sports: Corendon Sport Talks
Corendon Airlines, which brings millions of passengers to their dream destinations with innovations in the aviation and tourism sectors, continues its support for sports with the Corendon Sport Talks video series launched as part of its 20th anniversary. In this special project centred on the unifying power of sports, inspiring stories of figures who have left their mark on Turkish sports history meet wide audiences.
The guests featured in the Corendon Sport Talks episodes broadcast during 2025–2026, aiming to offer a different perspective on the world of sports, are as follows:
- Onvo Antalyaspor Head Coach Emre Belözoğlu and Corendon Tourism Group Chairman Yıldıray Karaer
- Former Beşiktaş JK president, businessman and sports executive Hüseyin Yücel; former FIFA referee and football commentator Fırat Aydınus
- Dora Badem, Yaren Çalışkan and Selvi Alpaslan from Muratpaşa Municipality Sports Club Young Girls Volleyball Team
- Journalist, presenter and football commentator Ersin Düzen; former national footballer and commentator Nihat Kahveci and his wife, presenter Fulya Sever Kahveci
- Former national basketball player and TBF Sporting Director Alper Yılmaz, and former national basketball player and Turkish Basketball Federation Vice President Harun Erdenay
- Corendon Alanyaspor head coach João Pereira
- Professional Tour Guide, Tourism Marketing Specialist and Sustainable Tourism Volunteer Ceylan Şensoy and her beloved mother, National Athlete and Coach Çiçek Solon Şensoy
- Corendon Alanyaspor captain and Turkish national footballer Efecan Karaca
- Andres Olivera, one of the organisers of the Corendon Airlines Tahtalı Run to Sky race and director of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series, and American professional runner Morgan Eliiot
- Triathlete and content creator Fatih Topçu
- Fenerbahçe Women’s Football Team captain and Turkish national footballer Yağmur Uraz
- Sports commentator and presenter Ertem Şener
- Sports commentator, presenter and journalist Fuat Akdağ
- Famous actor and presenter Selçuk Yöntem
- Former national footballer and head coach Arda Turan
- Hull City AFC owner Acun Ilıcalı
- Polish-born German footballer Lukas Podolski
- Turkish head coach and former national footballer Mustafa Denizli
- National wrestler Nesrin Baş, gold medallist at the 2024 European Wrestling Championships
- Simge Aköz, libero of the Turkish Women’s National Volleyball Team and captain of Eczacıbaşı Dynavit
- Argeus Travel & Events Managing Partner and Salomon Cappadocia Ultra-Trail Organiser Aydın Ayhan Güney; documentary producer, Sport Point Extreme CEO and Co-Founder, as well as Skechers Türkiye Board Member and Co-Founder Orkun Olgar
- Wellness & Yoga Instructor, Presenter and Author Ece Vahapoğlu; Joy of Athletics & Gurme Run Founder, former national triathlete Bahar Saygılı; and Corendon Airlines employees from Team Corendon — Flight Operations Specialist Ali Özkan and Flight Network Planning and Scheduling Deputy Manager Ceren Küçükçetin
- World and European Karate Champion, national athlete Serap Özçelik Arapoğlu
- Former footballer and head coach Yılmaz Vural
In addition to the Corendon Sport Talks video series, Corendon’s activities aimed at adding value to the sports world can also be followed on the Corendon Sports Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/corendonsports/
