Saffet Sancaklı

Saffet Sancaklı — Biography

Saffet Sancaklı is a former forward who went from the football pitch to the Turkish Grand National Assembly and is known as the MHP member of parliament for Kocaeli. He is one of the few footballers to have played for all three of Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.

Born in Tutin in the former Yugoslavia to a Bosniak family, he emigrated to Turkey with his family in 1968. He finished high school at Vefa Poyraz Lisesi in Istanbul, left a business degree at Anadolu University unfinished because of football, and in 2009 began public administration studies at the same university. After Kültürspor and Vefa he moved to Beşiktaş in 1987-88, then played for Eskişehirspor, Konyaspor and Sarıyer and made his mark at Kocaelispor (1991-94, 1995-96). He played for Galatasaray in 1994-95 and Fenerbahçe in 1996-98 and ended his playing days at Konyaspor in 1998-99. He scored 130 goals in the Süper Lig and took part in the 1996 European Championship with the national team.

After football he became the first FIFA-licensed player agent based in Turkey and held a sporting role in İstanbulspor's management. He entered active politics with the MHP in 2011; that year he stood for parliament in Kocaeli and in 2014 for Kocaeli Metropolitan Mayor, losing both. He was elected deputy for Kocaeli in June and November 2015 and has stayed in parliament in later terms. He resigned from the MHP on 9 December 2023 and returned to the party on 15 April 2024.