Can's Homepage Of Besiktas

Foundation Of Besiktas

Besiktas Bereket Gymnastics Club

It was the time before the end of the Ottoman Empire.The Emperor was Abdulhamit.

Besiktas Bereket Gymnastics Club was founded in such a time.In the march of 1903, when all the sports were forbidden, 26 young people met in Serencebey, in the house of Osman Pasha, and founded Besiktas.

Founders of The Club : Hüseyin Bereket, Mehmet Samil (Sapli), Ahmet Fetgeri, Mehmet Ali Fetgeri, Nazim Nazif (Ander), Tayyareci Fethi Bey, Behçet Bey, Haydar Bey, Sevket Cenani Bey, Mahmut Naci Bey, Cami Baykurt and Serafettin Bey.

In a near time, other young people were also interested in the activities they played; and when the club became larger, they choose a president for the club;

Samil Osman Bey became the first president of the club.

After a time, Abdulhamit the Emperor heard about them, and arrested Ahmet Fetgeri and his friends.As Ahmet Fetgeri was from a loyal family,Abdulhamit let them go, but he wanted them not to continue their sport activities.

They must have found a way to play sports again.Gymastics clubs were forbidden in the Empire. So they changed the name of the club into Besiktas Terbiye-i Bedeniye Mektebi.

They were from loyal families so they wanted Abdulhamit to let them to continue sports under that name.They told that sports were necessary for the human health and at last they persuaded Adbulhamit.

Besiktas Osmanli Gymastics Club

In 1908 some of the laws of the Ottoman Empire were changed, and people became more free by this change. That meaned that sports could be done more easily.

In 1909 there was a sports competition lead by Muhittin Pasha, but there were no Turkish Teams. Muhittin Pasha became unhappy from that and asked his friend Fuat Bey;" You see these young people playing, if only we had a Turkish Team here to play..."

Fuat Bey said:

-Sir, we have a Turkish team called Besiktas.They were founded 6 years ago; but you know the laws. They can't easily play sports, If you let them play...."

-Why don't i know about them? Now go on and tell them, i want them to play in these kind of competitions. If necessary we could change the laws..."

When this was heard in Besiktas , they met as quickly they could and first changed the name of the club into Besiktas Osmanli Gymnastics Club.

In the other side, Fuat Bey officilized the team Besiktas in the Ottoman Empire.
The first president of the offical club became Sukru Pasha.
After all Besiktas became the first offical Turkish club.