Turkish soccer boss meets with FIFA head Blatter

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Turkish Football Federation (TFF) Chairman Yıldırım Demirören said he paid a courtesy visit to Blatter after his election as TFF head. Demirören stated that he briefed Blatter on the Turkish federation's future plans, adding that Blatter underlined Turkish football's importance for FIFA and international football.

He also said TFF's priority was to ease tensions in Turkish football amid a match-fixing scandal that has implicated several premier division players and officials of clubs, including 2010-2011 league champions Fenerbahçe. A disciplinary committee with the TFF recently acquitted all clubs of allegedly being involved in the scandal, but imposed disciplinary measures on players and club executives.

A separate court trial is still under way in which Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım is the main suspect. A prosecutor demanded the court sentence Yıldırım, who has denied the charges, to a maximum of 13 years, 10 months in prison.