Betting investigation in Türkiye: 17 referees and two club presidents wanted in match-fixing investigations

Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 21 people – including 17 referees and two football club presidents – as part of a major investigation into betting and match-fixing.

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office said that simultaneous raids were carried out in 12 cities, including Istanbul.

Eighteen suspects were arrested, two of whom are believed to be abroad, and one has not been located.

The prosecution has not yet revealed the identities of the detainees.

According to the statement, the referees are being investigated on charges of misconduct in their positions and manipulation of match results.

Among the people named as part of the investigation are Eyubispor president Murat Özkay, former owner of Kasimpasa Sports Club, Turgay Çener, and former president Fatih Saraç, all of whom are accused of influencing the results of matches.

In September, a separate financial investigation was launched into two large groups, Can Holding and Siner Group, which owns the Kasimpasa Sports Club.

As part of this investigation, the court appointed a trustee to oversee the management of the club, which remains under court-appointed management. Ciner is believed to be currently abroad.

Prosecutors also announced a detention order for a social media user, known as UE, who is accused of publicly spreading misinformation.

Public attention first turned to the betting allegations on October 27, when the head of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, said in a press conference that hundreds of referees were linked to betting accounts.

Haciosmanoglu claimed that out of 571 referees working in professional leagues, 371 had betting accounts and 152 were actively betting.

He said that the group included seven referees and 15 first-class assistant referees in Türkiye, in addition to 36 “classified” referees and 94 lower-level assistants.

The TFF president added that 10 referees placed more than 10,000 bets. One referee alone placed 18,227 bets, while 142 referees bet on more than 1,000 football matches. Some judges place only one bet.

The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office later confirmed that an investigation into the referees’ betting activities began in April. The related investigation launched by the Antalya Prosecutor’s Office has been merged into the TFF Central Arbitration Committee with the Istanbul case.

The Prosecutor’s Office said that Haciosmanoğlu’s recent statements were also added to the investigation file as an official notification.

After these facts were revealed, the referees were referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK).

They included Premier League referee Zorbey Kucuk, who filed a criminal complaint on October 30, alleging his identity had been stolen and denying any involvement in the betting. Kocuk told reporters outside the court that he is not a member of any betting site.

On 1 November, the Turkish Football Federation announced that 149 of the 152 referees referred to the PFDK had been suspended for between eight and 12 months for betting offences.

Investigations are still ongoing against Koçuk, Melih Kurt and Mertcan Topay.