Turkish authorities have detained 17 referees and the president of a Süper Lig club in connection with an expanding investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing activities involving football officials across the country.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office issued detention warrants for 21 individuals in total, including referees, assistant referees and club executives.
According to state media, 18 suspects have been taken into custody so far in coordinated operations carried out in Istanbul and 11 other provinces.
Prosecutors said the suspects face charges of abuse of duty and manipulation of sports competitions. The investigation forms part of a broader crackdown on integrity breaches in Turkish football following a recent internal audit by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
That audit revealed that 371 of 571 active referees in the country held betting accounts, and 152 of them placed wagers on football matches. Based on those findings, the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees for periods ranging from eight to twelve months.
According to data cited by the prosecutor's office, 42 referees placed more than 1,000 bets, while one referee allegedly made 18,227 wagers during the review period. Officials indicated that the audit results were shared with judicial authorities prior to the initiation of the criminal investigation.
TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu described the incident as "a moral crisis in Turkish football" and pledged structural reforms within the federation to prevent further breaches.
The scale of the investigation and disciplinary measures, affecting nearly a quarter of the referee pool, has prompted concerns about match integrity and oversight mechanisms in Turkish professional football. Observers note that the case could also draw scrutiny from UEFA and FIFA, both of which maintain strict integrity compliance frameworks for match officials.
Infamously, Turkey is no stranger to gambling controversy. In 2023, Entain was ordered to pay HMRC £585m ($767m) to settle a UK investigation into alleged bribery in the Turkish market.
The investigation began in October after an internal review of referee conduct across Turkish leagues
