In February 2026, Turkish authorities arrested 1,877 individuals as part of nationwide operations targeting illegal gambling and drug offences, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek confirmed.
A total of 787 operations were carried out across all 81 provinces under the instructions of 171 Public Prosecutor’s Offices. Legal proceedings were initiated against 6,121 suspects. Of these, 1,877 were arrested and judicial control measures were applied to 624.
Commenting on the operations, Minister Gürlek stated: "The province with the highest number of actions was Istanbul. I sincerely thank all members of the judiciary and law enforcement units involved in these operations.
‘’We will continue our fight against crimes that target our family and social structure, the peace of our nation and the economic order of our country in full coordination and with determination alongside all relevant institutions."
Alongside enforcement actions, authorities have increasingly focused on disrupting the financial flows linked to illegal gambling.
Over the past year, around TL 5bn ($114m) in proceeds from criminal gambling activities were prevented from being laundered by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, MASAK, through the interruption of financial transactions.
Amid the rise in illegal activity, coordination between institutions has also intensified. Officials recently held a high-level meeting attended by multiple agencies.
Led by the Ministry of Justice, the meeting focused on strategies to combat crime and improve inter-agency cooperation to dismantle illegal gambling networks.
These efforts build on earlier policy steps. At the end of last year, Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced measures targeting illegal betting and online gambling.
Late last year, Turkish officials proposed measures to block illegal gambling sites aimed at children, restrict reward-based gaming apps and ban social media use for children under 15
