A major betting scandal has engulfed Turkish football after prosecutors confirmed the arrest of both former and current referees alongside players and senior club officials in a wide-ranging investigation centred in Istanbul.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 46 suspects on Friday under legislation designed to combat disorder in sport. By mid-morning, 35 had already been detained following coordinated police raids across the country. Those held include a sitting match official, a former international referee turned television pundit, and senior figures from clubs in Turkey’s professional leagues.
Among the arrests confirmed by news agency DHA were former FIFA referee Ahmet Cakar and current referee Zorbay Kucuk. Also detained were Mert Hakan Yandas of Fenerbahce and Metehan Baltaci of Galatasaray, with investigators alleging that Baltaci placed bets on matches involving his own team.
Seven of those arrested, including Cakar and Kucuk, were taken into custody after what authorities described as “suspicious financial transactions” were identified in their bank accounts. Prosecutors also confirmed the detention of the chair of Ankaraspor, the vice-chair of Antalyaspor and the former chair of Adana Demirspor.
The investigation began in October when the Turkish Football Federation announced it was examining the activities of more than 150 referees across the professional game over allegations of betting on matches. That inquiry rapidly widened to include players, administrators and broadcast figures. Last month, more than 100 professional players, including 25 from the top tier, were issued with temporary bans while inquiries continued.
All those detained on Friday were held under legislation that criminalises the manipulation of sporting competitions. The law carries a prison sentence of between one and three years, with longer terms available where offences are linked to betting markets, involve officials, or affect professional leagues.
The scandal cuts directly across FIFA and UEFA regulations, which strictly prohibit players, referees and club officials from betting on football at any level.
The federation has pledged to pursue the investigation fully, with its president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu declaring he would protect the sport from “scandal, decay and corrupt relationships.”