"A wide-ranging investigation into illegal gambling involving figures in Turkish football is underway with hundreds of players, club owners and referees under scrutiny. A series of police raids have taken place, arrests have been made and more than 1,000 players have been suspended as the scope of the inquiry continues to grow. Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said at a press conference this week that he saw "a growing sense of panic" within Turkish football "as operations deepen". Last month the TFF suspended 1,024 players from its professional leagues as part of an investigation into betting. It then handed out bans to 102 players from its top two divisions for "betting-related activities"."
"The betting scandal first erupted on 27 October and focused on referees. A five-year TFF investigation found that that 371 of 571 match officials in Turkey held betting accounts, with 152 of those actively gambling. While some had only bet once, 42 had bet on more than 1,000 football matches - with one official found to have placed 18,227 bets. Of these 152 referees, seven were top-flight referees and 15 were top-flight assistant referees."
An expansive criminal inquiry into illegal betting in Turkish football has triggered police raids, arrests and widespread suspensions across professional leagues. The Turkish Football Federation suspended 1,024 players and imposed bans on 102 players in the top two divisions for betting-related activities. Prosecutors ordered the arrest of 46 people including players, club presidents, commentators and a referee; notable detainees include Metehan Baltaci, Mert Hakan Yandas and Murat Sancak. A five-year federation probe found 371 of 571 match officials held betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling and some wagering on over 1,000 matches, including one official who placed 18,227 bets. Ongoing investigations have expanded under criminal inquiry.
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