Turkish police detained 32 people in coordinated raids across 10 provinces after the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued warrants for 33 suspects as part of a widening investigation into alleged illegal betting and match manipulation in professional football. Authorities said one suspect remains at large.
In its statement, the prosecutor’s office said investigators found the suspects had betting accounts and, in some cases, placed wagers during matches involving clubs they managed, including bets favoring the opposing side. The operation was launched on suspicion of violating Article 11 of Law No. 6222 (Turkey’s law on preventing violence and disorder in sports), Turkish media reported, citing the prosecutor’s announcement.
Club officials among those targeted
While the prosecutor’s office did not publicly disclose the clubs involved, multiple Turkish outlets and agencies published lists of clubs and names. Those reports said detainees included administrators linked to clubs such as Adana Demirspor, Ankaragücü, Yeni Malatyaspor, Antalyaspor, Bodrumspor, Göztepe, Giresunspor, Konyaspor, Alanyaspor, Denizlispor, Kocaelispor, Gençlerbirliği and Sivasspor.
Turkish media identified several of the detained (or sought) club officials by name, including former Adana Demirspor chairman Abdullah Sancak and administrators from Antalyaspor, Giresunspor, Konyaspor and others, though prosecutors have not released a comprehensive public roster in international wire reports.
Third wave after earlier arrests of players and referees
The latest detentions were described by Turkish media as the third wave in a probe that has steadily expanded from referees and players to include club leadership.
In December 2025, prosecutors ordered the detention of 46 suspects, including footballers, referees and officials, in what authorities portrayed as a broad illegal-betting network tied to the game.
Among those detained or arrested in earlier stages, international agencies reported, were former referee and TV commentator Ahmet Çakar, referee Zorbay Küçük, and players including Fenerbahçe’s Mert Hakan Yandaş and Galatasaray’s Metehan Baltacı.
TFF suspensions deepen the fallout
The investigation has triggered sweeping disciplinary measures by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). Authorities and media reports say the federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after allegations of betting activity, and the scandal has widened to include more than 1,000 players across divisions.
The episode has intensified long-running debates over integrity and governance in Turkish football, with prosecutors and the federation framing the crackdown as part of a broader “clean-up” effort.
Asset seizures and a broader anti-gambling crackdown
The football-linked operation comes amid wider enforcement actions against the financial infrastructure of illegal gambling.
Earlier this week, Turkish media reported that an İstanbul-based illegal betting investigation led to the seizure of Diyarbekirspor and three companies on allegations that criminal proceeds were being laundered through sports entities.
Separately, in January 2026, an İstanbul court ordered the seizure of Eyüpspor and eight companies linked to its president in a suspected illegal betting and money-laundering investigation, with trusteeship assigned to the state-backed Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), according to local reporting.
Turkey has also stepped up actions against payment and crypto channels allegedly used to move illicit betting proceeds. In February 2026, Bloomberg reported that authorities announced the freezing of more than half a billion dollars in assets tied to a figure accused of running illegal betting platforms and laundering proceeds, after a crypto firm acted at Turkey’s request.
Gambling is tightly restricted in Turkey: casinos were banned in 1998, and most non-state online gambling was outlawed in the mid-2000s, while some state-run lottery and betting services remain legal
