Turkish soccer club Galatasaray's former chairman Ozhan Canaydin died at the age of 67 in northwestern province of Bursa late on Monday.

Canaydin who was treated at Bursa Acibadem Hospital for two and a half years died at the hospital.

Born in Bursa on January 23, 1943, Canaydin began to play professional basketball in 1958.

In 1957, he became the youngest member of the Galatasaray organization with the registration number 155.

Playing with Turkey's national youth team that won the European Youth Championship in 1962, Ozhan Canaydin was also among the eight players of the Galatasaray basketball team that won the Turkish Championship.

He was a member of Galatasaray cadet, junior and senior basketball teams and participated in the teams that became Turkish champions. He retired from basketball in 1964.

Ozhan Canaydin graduated from Galatasaray Lycee in 1963 and married Asuman Canaydin in 1965. He has two children and four grandchildren.

In 1964, Ozhan Canaydin started his business career in the textile sector, in which his father had a company.

Ozhan Canaydin assigned his business to professional managers after being elected as President of Galatasaray in 2002. Canaydin has also served for Galatasaray under the presidencies of Ali Tanriyar, Alp Yalman and Faruk Suren.

Canaydin was re-elected chairman of Galatasaray on March 25, 2006. Due to health issues, he resigned from his position in 2008.


AA