News | Arrests made in Turkish matchfixing probe
Turkish prosecutors have issued detention orders for 21 individuals.
This includes 17 referees and two football club presidents, as part of a sweeping investigation into alleged betting and match-fixing.
Author | Natalie R
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that simultaneous raids took place across 12 cities, including Istanbul itself. Eighteen people have been detained, while two suspects are believed to be abroad and one remains unaccounted for.
Authorities have not yet released the names of those taken into custody.
According to prosecutors, the referees are under investigation for misconduct in office and manipulating match outcomes. Among those reportedly named are Eyupspor president Murat Ozkaya, Kasimpasa’s former owner Turgay Ciner and ex-president Fatih Sarac, who are accused of seeking to influence results.
In September, a separate financial probe was launched into Can Holding and Ciner Group, two major conglomerates that previously owned Kasımpasa Sports Club. A court subsequently appointed a trustee to oversee the club’s management, which remains under judicial control. Ciner is believed to be overseas.
Kaveh Solhekol looks at the case which has stunned Turkish football, where disciplinary action has been launched due to 152 referees actively gambling on football 🇹🇷⚽️ pic.twitter.com/bTjhVgoBvV
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 27, 2025
Prosecutors also announced a detention order for a social media user identified as UE, accused of spreading misleading information online.
Public scrutiny intensified on 27 October, when Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu told a news conference that hundreds of referees were linked to betting accounts.
Haciosmanoglu claimed that out of 571 referees working in the professional leagues, 371 had betting accounts and 152 were actively placing wagers. He said the group included seven referees and 15 assistants from Turkey’s top two divisions, as well as 36 “classified” referees and 94 assistants from the level below.
The TFF president added that 10 referees placed more than 10,000 bets, while one referee placed 18,227 wagers. A total of 142 referees reportedly bet on over 1,000 football matches, though some made just a single wager.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office later confirmed that an inquiry into referees’ betting activity began in April. A related investigation by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into the TFF’s Central Refereeing Committee has since been merged with the Istanbul case.
🚨 Referee scandal in Turkey! 🇹🇷
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 7, 2025
Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 21 people, including 17 referees and the chairman of an unnamed Super Lig club, amid investigations into alleged betting on football matches.
The scandal has rocked Turkish football, with over… pic.twitter.com/Sq966fPcXa
Prosecutors said Haciosmanoglu’s recent remarks have been added to the case file as formal evidence.
Following the revelations, the referees were referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK). Among them was Super Lig referee Zorbay Kucuk, who filed a criminal complaint on 30 October, claiming his identity had been stolen and denying any involvement in betting. Kucuk told reporters outside court he was not a member of any betting platform.
On 1 November, the TFF announced that 149 of the 152 referees referred to the PFDK had been banned for between eight and 12 months for betting violations. Investigations into Kucuk, Melih Kurt and Mertcan Tubay remain ongoing.
Comments
Post a Comment