Turkey mourns as it bids farewell to its football federation chief

Hasan Dogan, the head of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), who died of a heart attack at the weekend, was laid to rest in Istanbul on Monday.

A ceremony was held to commemorate Dogan at the TFF facilities in Istanbul's Levent district. Hundreds, including many statesmen and sportsmen, attended the ceremony.

He was laid to rest after a funeral ceremony at Fatih Mosque.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan were among the attendees in the funeral ceremony.

Dogan, 52, died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack while holidaying in the southwest of Turkey. He was having a meal with national coach Fatih Terim in the popular resort of Bodrum when he was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Dogan, a prominent businessman, had been the head of the federation since February this year and last month saw the national team make it to the semi-finals of the Euro 2008 championships for the first time ever.

Dogan leaves behind a wife and two children.

WHO IS HASAN DOGAN?
Doğan, born in Kastamonu in 1956, was a graduate of mechanical engineering from Yıldız Technical University. He studied English in the United Kingdom, and worked in marketing before founding his own men's wear company in 1988. He was also a member of the Turkish Olympic Committee, or TMOK. Doğan served as president of the TFF for five months, having been elected to the post in February. Previously he had been vice president under Levent Bıçakcı between 2004 and 2006. His death comes little over a week after Turkey's superb run at EURO 2008 culminated in a thrilling semifinal against Germany.

WHO WILL TAKE HIS PLACE?..
Following Doğan's death, the TFF will now have to convene an emergency congress to elect a new chief. Article 7 of the TFF law stipulates that in case of death or resignation of the TFF president, a vice chairman or, if there are no vice chairmen, one of the board members becomes the acting president responsible for holding new elections in three months' time. Until the election, Lütfi Arıboğan or Mahmut Özgener will be the acting president.

Source:AA News