Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 29 people, including 14 football players, in an expanding investigation into illegal betting linked to professional football.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said 24 suspects were detained in raids carried out in 11 provinces, while four were still being sought and one suspect was already in prison in a separate case.
Among those detained were Erden Timur, a former executive at Galatasaray, one of Turkey’s biggest football clubs, based in İstanbul.
The detainees include Buğra Cem İmamoğulları, an official at the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), and Fatih Kulaksız, an executive at Eyüpspor, an İstanbul club.
The prosecutor’s office said the latest detention orders were based on evidence taken from Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) reports, data obtained from betting sites, open source research, decisions by the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee (PFDK), phone traffic analysis and the review of digital material seized in earlier operations.
Prosecutors said six suspects were identified as having placed bets intended to influence the result of the October 26, 2024 Kasımpaşa–Samsunspor match in the Süper Lig, Turkey’s top division.
Prosecutors also said 14 football players were identified as having placed bets against their own team, which the prosecutor’s office described as betting that could affect match outcomes.
The prosecutor’s office said seven suspects were identified as having suspicious financial transactions linked to the allegations and connected to a suspect who had been jailed in earlier operations.
In the case involving Timur, the prosecutor’s office said an examination of bank transactions raised suspicions of violations of laws that include provisions related to sports integrity, illegal betting and anti-money laundering rules.
The latest operation is part of a broader scandal that began with claims about betting activity among match officials and later expanded to include players and club figures.
On October 27 TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said an internal review found that 371 of 571 active referees in Turkey’s professional leagues had betting accounts and that 152 were actively betting.
Prosecutors treated those comments as a tip and opened or deepened a criminal investigation.
On November 1 the TFF said it had suspended 149 referees and assistant referees with bans ranging from eight to 12 months following disciplinary proceedings.
In early December prosecutors ordered the detention of 46 people, including players, club presidents, commentators and a referee, in a probe into insider betting in Turkey’s professional leagues.
A Turkish court later jailed 20 suspects pending trial, including Süper Lig players.
The TFF referred 1,024 players across leagues for disciplinary action during the broader crackdown.