On Friday, prosecutors in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for numerous football players and officials linked to a betting scandal that has rocked Türkiye.
Among those arrested during early morning police operations were prominent players from Türkiye’s top clubs, including Mert Hakan Yandas from Fenerbahce and Metehan Baltaci representing national champions Galatasaray.
The Türkiye Football Federation announced in October that it was investigating over 150 referees across professional leagues for suspected betting on matches.
The investigation quickly broadened to encompass players, administrators, TV commentators, and others within the sport. Last month, more than 100 professional players, including 25 from the top league, received temporary bans.
On Friday, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued warrants for 46 individuals. As of that morning, 35 suspects had already been detained, including the chair of Ankaraspor, the vice-chair of Antalyaspor, and the former chair of Adana Demirspor.
Former referee and commentator Ahmet Cakar, along with current referee Zorbay Kucuk, were also reported to have been arrested, according to the DHA news agency.
Prosecutors indicated that Baltaci, a former player for national youth teams, had been discovered betting on games involving his own team, while Yandas allegedly placed his bets through another person.
Seven individuals, including Cakar and Kucuk, were taken into custody after “suspicious financial transactions” were detected in their bank accounts.
All suspects were detained under legislation aimed at preventing disorder in sports, which prohibits the manipulation of competitions and stipulates a prison sentence of one to three years. This can be extended if the crime is linked to betting, involves officials, or impacts professional leagues.
According to global and European football regulations, players, referees, and club officials are barred from betting on matches at any level.
The Türkiye Football Federation has pledged to rid the sport of corruption, with president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu asserting his commitment to safeguarding it from “scandal, decay, and corrupt relationships.”