Türkiye’s football betting scandal explodes with second wave of detentions

The betting scandal engulfing Turkish football has entered a new phase as media outlets began releasing names linked to the case, while the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched a second wave of operations.

Prosecutors have issued detention orders for 46 people on December 5, including 29 footballers from top-tier clubs, club presidents, commentators, and others, as part of an expanding probe into insider betting that has disrupted the country’s professional leagues, according to Turkish broadcaster A-Haber.

The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office said that 27 of the arrested players were suspected of placing bets on matches involving their own teams.

The investigation has already shaken the sport, with six referees being placed in pre-trial detention on November 10, along with the president of Eyüpspor, a club in Türkiye’s top Super Lig.

While prosecutors did not name the other 26 players suspected of betting on their own teams, they did state that Mert Hakan Yandaş, who plays for Fenerbahçe, another major Istanbul club, allegedly placed bets using someone else’s account.

A Haber also reported that Murat Sancak, former president of Adana Demirspor, is among those included in the detention orders as well as Metehan Baltacı, a player for reigning champions Galatasaray, who was recently suspended for nine months in connection with the scandal.

Authorities said police have detained 35 of the 46 individuals targeted so far, noting that five suspects are believed to be abroad.

The statement further revealed that two club presidents are accused of “attempting to influence the outcome” of a match between their third-division teams during the 2023–2024 season.

In October, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended nearly 150 referees for betting on matches. All of them have since been dismissed.

By Nazrin Sadigova