The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has referred 1,024 players to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) as a precautionary measure amid investigations into illegal betting on professional leagues, under Article 57 of the federation’s disciplinary regulations.
As part of these investigations, Eren Elmali, defender for Galatasaray and the Turkish national team, has been excluded from the senior squad, along with Ezat Celik from the U-19 team and Ege Alper from the youth national team, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings.
The TFF emphasized that these measures aim to protect the integrity of competitions and enforce the highest standards of transparency and discipline in Turkish football.
On Monday, an Istanbul court ordered the pre-trial detention of six referees involved in the betting scandal and temporarily arrested the president of Eyup Spor, a first-division club.
Eleven other referees previously detained were released on bail. The referees held positions as assistant referees in third and fourth division matches.
Due to the investigation, the TFF has suspended third- and fourth-division competitions for two weeks, affecting over 900 players under scrutiny.
The federation also plans an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss further developments. Among the implicated players are 27 first-division athletes, including Eren Elmali.
The current scandal follows a previous investigation in late October, which revealed that 152 out of 571 referees, including 22 from the first division, had actively bet on matches.
This led to the suspension of 149 referees for 8 to 12 months, with the federation pledging a thorough reform of Turkish football.
The suspended referees have denied involvement in betting on matches they officiated, claiming that some wagers were placed during earlier periods when they served as amateur referees.
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