Semih Kaya

Semih Kaya — Biography

Semih Kaya was born on 24 February 1991 in the Bergama district of İzmir, into a family whose grandfather had migrated there from Macedonia. A centre-back standing 1.82 m tall, he took his first steps in football at Petkimspor before moving through the youth ranks of Helvacıspor and Altay.

His performances at a 2006 tournament in Burhaniye caught the eye of Galatasaray, and he joined the club's academy at just 15 years old. After a spell hampered by injuries, he broke into the first team, making his first official appearance in a Turkish Cup match in January 2009, and soon became a regular member of the squad, gaining UEFA Europa League experience along the way. He also had spells at clubs including Kartalspor and Gaziantepspor before returning to Galatasaray in early 2022.

Kaya announced his retirement from football via social media on 12 August 2022. In the years that followed, he became one of the figures named in connection with the Seçil Erzan investment fraud case that drew widespread public attention in Turkey, giving testimony and making public statements on the matter.