Trabzonspor, the late honorary president Mehmet Ali Yılmaz, won four trophies during his tenure as club president. Yılmaz, born in Trabzon on October 21, 1948, graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Istanbul Engineering and Architecture Academy. He was known as a businessman, media employer, politician, and sports manager. Elected as the 8th president of Trabzonspor in the 1982-1983 season, Yılmaz held this position until the middle of the 1987-1988 season. After taking over the presidency again in 1989 following a one-year break, he remained in office until 1992. Mehmet Ali Yılmaz, whose third term as president lasted from the end of 1996 to the end of 2000, was the person who held the presidency of the club for the longest time. Trabzonspor won four trophies during Yılmaz’s presidency, including the President’s Cup in the 1982-1983 season, the league championship and the Turkish Cup in the 1983-1984 season, as well as the Prime Minister’s Cup in the 1984-1985 season. In 1988, Mehmet Ali Yılmaz was appointed as the honorary president of the club upon the request of the club’s executive committee. Yılmaz took the first steps to establish himself in the maroon club. The name of Mehmet Ali Yılmaz was given to the club’s existing facilities. In the 1991 parliamentary elections, Mehmet Ali Yılmaz was elected as a deputy of Trabzon by the True Path Party and served as the Minister of State responsible for sports in the 49th and 50th governments. During Mehmet Ali Yılmaz’s tenure, the Turkish Football Federation received an autonomous structure. Yılmaz became one of the individuals who organized the pool system in football.
