In a remarkable extraordinary general assembly held at the BJK Sports Complex on Sunday, Hasan Arat surpassed Serdal Adalı to secure the presidency at Beşiktaş Club.
Arat, who will hold the position for 1.5 years, emerged victorious in the elections held at the iconic sports complex, adding a new chapter to his longstanding association with the black-and-white club.
Born in Adana in 1959, Hasan Arat completed his high school education at Haydarpaşa High School and graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration.
His connection with the Black Eagles dates back to his professional basketball career, spanning seven years.
Arat played for Adana Demirspor before joining the Istanbul side in 1977, where he donned the jersey for five years.
Beyond his contributions on the court, Arat received the "Businessman of the Year" award in 1996 from Ekonomist Magazine, Türkiye's National Productivity Center, and Dünya Newspaper.
Between 1998 and 2000, during Süleyman Seba's presidency at Beşiktaş Club, Arat served as the vice president of the board.
Notably, Arat played a pivotal role in managing Istanbul's bid for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Internationally recognized as a sports executive, Arat held various roles, including vice president of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK), Executive Board Member of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), Member of the Marketing and New Sources of Finance Commission at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Member of the Finance and Marketing Commission at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and as one of nine members of the 2020 Olympic Bid Procedure Working Group.
In July 2019, he was elected as the chair of the Coordination Committee by the EOC for the 2023 European Games held in Poland's Malopolska region and Krakow.
His successful coordination efforts led to Arat receiving an honorary citizenship for the completion of the 2023 European Games.
Becoming part of the Executive Board of the World Athletics Council in November 2019, Arat assumed the role of chair of the Risk Committee within the Executive Board.
Apart from his extensive involvement in sports management, Hasan Arat is a partner and chair of the board at Novo Invest, a versatile real estate investment and development company.
He is also the founder and partner of Dome Group, an independent corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions consultancy firm headquartered in London and Istanbul.
Additionally, he serves as the vice chairperson of the board for Beymen Group, a significant player in the luxury fashion industry in Türkiye and worldwide.
Married and a father of two, Hasan Arat brings a wealth of experience to his new role as the 35th president of Beşiktaş.
Congratulations pour in
Following the official announcement of Hasan Arat's victory in the extraordinary general assembly, congratulatory messages were extended by rival clubs, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.
Galatasaray expressed their congratulations, stating, "We congratulate Mr. Hasan Arat, elected president in the Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting of Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club. We wish this election to be auspicious for Turkish sports."
Fenerbahçe, in a similar spirit, conveyed their best wishes, saying, "We congratulate Mr. Hasan Arat, elected as the president in the Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting of Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club. We extend our wishes for success to him and his board members in their duties."
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also joined in to offer their congratulations to Hasan Arat and the newly elected board, saying, "After the extraordinary general assembly meeting held today at Beşiktaş Club, we congratulate Mr. Hasan Arat and the board on their election and wish them success during their tenure."