17 Referees & Club President Arrested in Turkish Betting Scandal

Turkish authorities arrested 21 people as part of an investigation into alleged betting on matches in the Turkish football league.

Turkish prosecutors said on Friday that they had issued arrest warrants for 21 individuals, including 17 referees, the president of an unnamed top-tier club, a former club owner, and a former federation president.

According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, 18 out of the 21 suspects have been detained so far.

This development comes a week after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced the suspension of 149 referees and assistants following an investigation that revealed several officials working in professional domestic competitions were actively participating in betting on matches.

The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office said that the 17 referees were detained on charges of abuse of power and match-fixing.

In a separate investigation, a disciplinary committee of the TFF imposed bans ranging from eight to twelve months on 149 referees for involvement in betting-related activities.

İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, president of the Turkish Football Federation, described the situation as “a moral crisis in Turkish football.”