Cursing in stands prevents female fans from attending football matches

Duvar English 

Berna Gözbaşı, the recently elected club president of the Kayserispor football team - a member of Turkey's top Super League - said that every football team in the country has large numbers of female fans who are unable to come to the stands to watch matches due to the presence of heavy cursing by male fans, in an interview with the daily Cumhuriyet newspaper. 

“When the number of women in club administrations increases, I think this will decrease. In the business world, the discipline and sense of order in every business where women have a place comes from them. We will make this happen here,” said Gözbaşı, who is slated to begin her duties at the end of the month. 

Gözbaşı elaborated as to how she became the first female president of Turkey's top football league: 

“Kayseri's biggest problem is the lack of social activities. When the biggest social activitiy became Kayserispor, I became a member of the board, was later chosen as vice president, and then as president,” Gözbaşı said. The fact that her selection as president of a club in the conservative central Anatolian city of Kayseri is particularly notable. 

Gözbaşı, who has been involved in commerce in Kayseri since finishing university in the city of Izmir, has exported Turkish-manufactured beds to 70 countries in five continents. She is also a member of the executive board of the World Turkish Business Council (DTİK) and the president of the Turkey Portugal Business council. 

Gözbaşı attributed Kayserispor's recent win against Fenerbahçe, traditionally known as one of Turkey's top three clubs, to her successful communication with foreign players on her squad, owing to the fact that she speaks English. 

“I established a very good dialogue with them. Because I don't have a problem with foreign languages, in particular, we do not have any problems communicating with foreign football players. I believe that the communication I have established with the foreign players played a major role in our victory against Fenerbahçe,” Gözbaşı said.