03.11.2025 21:44
The Francophone Personality Award for the year 2025 was given to Dursun Özbek, the president of Galatasaray Club. Upon receiving the award, Dursun Özbek stated, "I am grateful to be deemed worthy of this award. It is a great honor for me that I cannot describe. Our goal is to please our fans this year with the Champions League and to climb towards the top."
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Galatasaray Club President Dursun Özbek was awarded the "Francophone Personality of the Year 2025" by the Francophone Ambassadors Group in Turkey.
AMBASSADORS FROM MANY COUNTRIES ATTENDED The reception held at the Tevfik Fikret Hall of Galatasaray High School was attended by Dursun Özbek, as well as the Principal of Galatasaray High School, Mustafa Reşat Dabak, and ambassadors from countries such as Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Vietnam, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Chad, and Cameroon.
THE AWARD WAS GIVEN FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR The award created by the Francophone Ambassadors in Turkey was given for the first time this year. The ceremony, which started with a folklore performance featuring children, saw Dursun Özbek receive his award from Aden Hüseyin Abdillahi, the Ambassador of Djibouti in Ankara. In his opening speech, Mustafa Reşat Dabak stated, "I am happy to host you here for the Francophone Personality of the Year 2025 Award. We are delighted to honor Dursun, who is known for his leadership and commitment to his alma mater."
'I OFFER MY GRATITUDE' Dursun Özbek, in his speech at the ceremony, said, "I feel deep emotion for receiving the Francophone Personality of the Year 2025 Award. I am grateful to be deemed worthy of this award. It is a great honor that I cannot describe. It carries significant importance. I was born in a small village in Giresun. The scholarship I received to enter Galatasaray High School, which led to me receiving this prestigious award today, changed my entire life. I express my gratitude to the esteemed ambassadors for organizing this award ceremony. I would like to conclude my words by saying, 'Long live the Republic of Turkey, long live Francophonie, long live Galatasaray.'"
'A VERY MEANINGFUL AND BEAUTIFUL AWARD' After the ceremony, Dursun Özbek stated to the press that the award he received was influenced by what he had done since becoming the president of Galatasaray.
Emphasizing that being appreciated is a beautiful thing, Özbek noted:
"The ambassadors of French-speaking countries gather among themselves in Ankara. For the first time, they are electing the Francophone, French-speaking person of the year in Turkey. As they told me, they unanimously chose me. This is a very meaningful and beautiful award. Being the president of Galatasaray gives this award a more beautiful meaning. The person selected in this way is deemed worthy of this award not only for their private life but also for what they have done at Galatasaray. Therefore, I am very happy. I believe that what we have done since I came to the management of Galatasaray has greatly influenced this. Such an award is very honorable as the president of Galatasaray and suits Galatasaray well. My friends and I are trying to do our best for Galatasaray Sports Club. This is also appreciated, and I am very happy because it is appreciated. I am happy on behalf of myself and my friends. Because all these awards are not just about me; they are also awards received on behalf of my friends who have supported me."
Evaluating the match that Galatasaray will play against Ajax away on November 5, Wednesday, in the UEFA Champions League, Dursun Özbek said, "We have achieved 2 out of 3 in the Champions League. We are going to the Ajax away game. Our goal is to please our fans with the Champions League this year and to climb towards the top. Therefore, the Ajax match is one of the important thresholds for us. Hopefully, we plan to pass it with a good result. After that, we will continue on our way."
Recalling that many players, especially from African countries, speak French at Galatasaray, Özbek stated, "When we talk to the ambassadors of African countries, they tell me one by one who is playing here and talk about their own countries. They say that these players speak positively about Galatasaray in their countries and promote Galatasaray. This is an important thing. This award will also strengthen these relationships. Therefore, I am very pleased with these relationships."
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