 Özilhan says shutting down Efes Pilsen is not on the cards. Hürriyet photo |
Efes Pilsen Basketball Club will attempt to continue playing under its current moniker despite a new law making alcohol brands’ sponsorship of sporting teams illegal, Anatolia news agency reported the company chairman as saying.
The club, Turkey’s most decorated basketball outfit with 13 league titles and a European Korac Cup victory, is facing having to close – or at least having to change its name – following the passing of a new law by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority, or TAPDK, making it illegal for alcohol producers to sponsor sporting clubs through commercials, sponsorship deals and promotional campaigns.
The law was published in the Official Gazette last Friday and includes an article giving sporting clubs affected by the regulation one year to accommodate it.
Speaking at a press conference, Tuncay Özilhan, CEO of the Anadolu Group, owners of the Efes Beverage Group, said the company did not want to close the club and several plans were on the cards.
“We don’t want to shut the club down,” said Özilhan. “We will apply to the TAPDK with several solutions to the naming issue. We want the club to contribute to this country. Hopefully TAPDK is on the same page as us and supports the case. Their approach is important to us.”
“Our legal team is working on the case right now,” the chairman said. “We will see if they can come up with another solution. We will apply with certain names and wait for TAPDK’s answer. We will go on if they approve. We want to.”
When asked what the company would do with the 60 million Turkish Liras it currently spends on sports sponsorships that will have to be scrapped following the introduction of the new law, Özilhan said: “We will put that in our pockets.”
The club, Turkey’s most decorated basketball outfit with 13 league titles and a European Korac Cup victory, is facing having to close – or at least having to change its name – following the passing of a new law by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority, or TAPDK, making it illegal for alcohol producers to sponsor sporting clubs through commercials, sponsorship deals and promotional campaigns.
The law was published in the Official Gazette last Friday and includes an article giving sporting clubs affected by the regulation one year to accommodate it.
Speaking at a press conference, Tuncay Özilhan, CEO of the Anadolu Group, owners of the Efes Beverage Group, said the company did not want to close the club and several plans were on the cards.
“We don’t want to shut the club down,” said Özilhan. “We will apply to the TAPDK with several solutions to the naming issue. We want the club to contribute to this country. Hopefully TAPDK is on the same page as us and supports the case. Their approach is important to us.”
“Our legal team is working on the case right now,” the chairman said. “We will see if they can come up with another solution. We will apply with certain names and wait for TAPDK’s answer. We will go on if they approve. We want to.”
When asked what the company would do with the 60 million Turkish Liras it currently spends on sports sponsorships that will have to be scrapped following the introduction of the new law, Özilhan said: “We will put that in our pockets.”
No comments:
Post a Comment