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The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday that 18 of 21 suspects, including 17 referees and the president of a Turkish Super Lig club, have been detained as part of the investigation publicly known as the “referees’ membership in betting websites” case.
In a statement, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation was launched after Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu’s public declaration that “371 referees have betting accounts and 152 of them were found to be actively betting” was treated as a tipoff.
The statement said that, given referees’ status as public officials, the monetary value of betting activities was considered contrary to duty requirements, and a comparison between their earnings from refereeing and their income outside officiating, as well as allegations of match-fixing and influencing match results under the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports, was placed under review.
According to the statement, as a result of the initial examination, 17 referees were issued detention orders on charges of “misconduct of duty” and “influencing the outcome of a competition” under Law No. 6222. Due to acts aimed at influencing the outcome of matches in football leagues, the president of a Trendyol Super Lig club, a club’s former owner, and a former association president were issued detention orders on charges of “influencing the outcome of a competition” under the same law.
Additionally, another suspect, who was assessed to have shared misleading information and documents on social media during the investigation through manipulative posts of unknown origin, was issued a detention order on the charge of “publicly disseminating misleading information.” In total, detention orders were issued for 21 suspects. Searches, seizures, and detention operations were conducted at addresses across 12 provinces, resulting in 18 suspects being taken into custody.
The statement emphasized that, considering the scale and influence of individuals such as players and referees and institutions such as football clubs and governing bodies in Türkiye’s football leagues, all evidence—both in favor of and against the suspects—must be collected completely and with precision during the ongoing judicial investigation. It noted that the judicial probe conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the administrative investigation carried out by the TFF are two separate matters that must be evaluated differently in terms of evidentiary standards, sanctions, and subsequent legal procedures.
“As the judicial assessment of individuals on whom the TFF conducts administrative proceedings may differ, it is also possible for judicial action to be taken against individuals for whom the TFF has taken no action. For this reason, within the scope of the current judicial investigation, disciplinary assessments made by the TFF have been utilized, but without being bound by the information and documents in this administrative process. Based on independent evaluations, the above-mentioned individuals have been subjected to these procedures," the statement said.
"In light of the extensive number of individuals, players, technical staff, administrators, and others in all football leagues in our country, and the number of matches that must be examined, the public is informed that these types of allegations will continue to be investigated resolutely by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ex officio and in coordination with all relevant institutions and organizations, without interruption," added the statement.
It also advised not to rely on any unverified information on social media whose source cannot be identified.
The development comes days after the TFF referred 152 referees to its disciplinary board for betting on football matches, publicly naming them, including FIFA official Zorbay Kucuk, in one of the country’s largest ethics investigations in the sport’s history.
The TFF’s Legal Counsel announced Tuesday that the referees were charged with “betting participation,” based on findings that 371 of the federation’s 571 registered officials hold betting accounts and 152 are actively placing bets.
The investigation is expected to deepen, covering other referees who also hold betting accounts, as well as potential inquiries into players, club executives, and TFF officials who may be linked to the betting scheme.
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Under Article 57 of the TFF Disciplinary Code, anyone who places direct or indirect bets on football matches may be banned from match-related activities for three months to one year. Repeat offenders or those placing large-scale bets face the maximum penalty.
Under the FIFA Code of Ethics, all officials, referees, players, and related persons are prohibited from participating directly or indirectly in betting or having any financial interest in betting on football matches or competitions.
UEFA disciplinary regulations similarly require participants in its competitions to refrain from any conduct that could compromise the integrity of matches, including illegal betting or match-fixing.
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