The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) appointed Prof. Dr. Lale Orta as the new head of the Central Refereeing Committee, making her the first woman president of the MHK.
"The Central Refereeing Committee will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Lale Orta, first female football coach, first female referee, and one of the first female FIFA referees in Turkey. We believe that the new committee will fulfill its responsibilities to add value to football in Turkey and to bring it to higher levels. We wish the new MHK president and members success in their duties", stated TFF in their announcement.
Prof. Dr. Orta, a former football player, became Turkey's first female football coach when the TFF opened up coaching courses for women in 1985. Ten years later, in 1995, she became one of the first female football referees with a FIFA badge. Throughout her career, she refereed over 1,500 professional and amateur matches and 60 international games. In 2000, she obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Education at the Istanbul Technical University.
Source: Bianet