UPDATE 1-Soccer-Turkish federation chairman resigns

Turkish Football Federation (TFF) chairman Yildirim Demiroren has resigned following the completion of the transfer of Turkey's only legal sports betting company Iddaa to Demiroren's conglomerate, he said on Thursday.

Demiroren's company this month made the top bid to operate Iddaa, drawing criticism from the country's main opposition party and the public, which said Demiroren should have resigned from his post before the tender process. "I have made this decision regarding this task I have carried with pride and honour until today to not leave any space for dispute and to cast a shadow over it before the Turkish and world public," Demiroren said in a statement on the TFF's website.

The commission running the bidding process was not immediately available for comment regarding the transfer of Iddaa to Demiroren's conglomerate. The Sans Girisim venture comprising the chairman's Demiroren Holding and U.S. company Scientific Games had offered a 0.2 percent revenue-sharing deal.

Inteltek, the only other bidder, objected to the decision, filing an application for Sans Girisim's bid not to be taken into consideration. Inteltek, which has operated Iddaa since 2008, was the only participant in an initial tender held in November. The tender was later cancelled due to a lack of competition.

Hours before Demiroren's resignation was announced, the TFF agreed a four-year deal with Besiktas coach Senol Gunes to coach the Turkish national team. (Reporting by Ebru Tuncay and Can Sezer, Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen Editing by Daren Butler and Ed Osmond)