ISTANBUL: Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 21 individuals, including 17 referees and the chairman of a Super Lig club, as part of an investigation into alleged betting and match-fixing in Turkish football. So far, 18 of the suspects have been taken into custody, Anadolu news agency reported.
The development follows a week after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees and assistant referees amid evidence that officials in the country’s professional leagues were involved in betting activities. The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office stated that the 17 referees were being detained on charges of abuse of duty and manipulating match results. The club president, a former club owner, and a former association president are also facing detention.
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In addition, one individual has been targeted for spreading misleading information on social media as part of coordinated operations across 12 cities in Turkey.
The TFF’s disciplinary board has separately imposed bans of eight to 12 months on the 149 officials involved in betting. TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the scandal as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.” Investigations revealed that 371 of 571 active referees had betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling.
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Authorities found that one referee had placed 18,227 bets, while 42 others had wagered on over 1,000 matches each. The operation reflects growing concerns over integrity and transparency in Turkish professional football.