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The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu stated Monday that the federation has uncovered extensive betting activity among referees across Türkiye’s professional leagues, revealing that 371 out of 571 registered referees hold betting accounts and 152 are actively placing bets, raising concerns about potential match-fixing—a recurring issue in recent years amid declining officiating performance.
Speaking at a press conference at the TFF’s Hasan Dogan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities in Riva, Istanbul, Haciosmanoglu said the findings were based on official data obtained from state institutions and professional analyses.
Among the identified referees, seven are classified as elite referees, 15 as elite assistant referees, 36 as national-level referees, and 94 as national assistant referees.
"One referee alone placed 18,227 bets, while forty-two others each wagered on over 1,000 football matches," Haciosmanoglu said, noting that some referees had only made a single bet.
He added that the federation’s disciplinary board would begin the necessary procedures immediately and that sanctions would be imposed in accordance with federation regulations and the national law covering betting violations, which applies to the past five years.
Haciosmanoglu emphasized that the investigation began within the federation itself.
"We started by cleaning our own house," he said. "Our goal is to restore honesty and integrity in Turkish football. We will share the results of all investigations transparently, including our own management if necessary."
Haciosmanoglu called on football clubs and executives to conduct similar internal checks and disclose any wrongdoing within their organizations.
"If we can confront these issues together, we can move Turkish football to where it deserves to be," he said.
The TFF president stated that the federation has already shared its findings with FIFA and UEFA, the sport’s global and European governing bodies. He described the betting scandal as "deeply upsetting," noting that "referees opening accounts in their own names to place bets" represented a serious breach of ethics.
"We are committed to rebuilding the referee community through comprehensive education and ethical training," he said, adding that new referees would undergo rigorous courses designed to instill integrity and professionalism.
Haciosmanoglu expressed confidence that the federation’s cleanup efforts would mark a turning point.
"We believe better days are ahead. With the support of club presidents, executives, and the public, we will carry Turkish football to the level it has long aspired to reach," he said.
Haciosmanoglu's remarks were made amid growing debate over controversial referee performances in the Turkish Super Lig in recent years, with many alleging the existence of an illicit scheme involving deliberate wrong decisions made in favor of certain clubs.
The most prominent claim came from one of Türkiye’s biggest football clubs, Fenerbahce, as the club’s former president, Ali Koc, had been publicly alleging the existence of a scheme manipulating decisions in specific matches, thereby hindering Fenerbahce’s and other clubs’ league campaigns and paving the way for archrival Galatasaray to win titles.
Koc's claims also included allegations that the scheme was affiliated with the terrorist organization Gulenist Terror Group (FETO).
The debate dates back to the 2022-2023 season, when Mehmet Buyukeksi was elected as the new president of the TFF.
During that season, a series of repeated referee mistakes in matches involving Galatasaray’s rivals sparked backlash from Fenerbahce, with the club claiming that the errors were made deliberately in favor of Galatasaray.
Even the club’s Portuguese coach, Jorge Jesus, referred to the issue at the end of the season, in which Galatasaray won the title, saying, "Regardless of who wins the league, I think matches should be won on the field. However, in my opinion, this league has no sporting reality. Matches are not won on the field—I say this no matter who wins."
The debates turned into a clash between the Turkish Football Federation and Fenerbahce in the 2023-2024 season, when Fenerbahce collected 99 points and its archrival, Galatasaray, clinched the title with 102 points.
Throughout the season, many high-stakes referee decisions against Fenerbahce and other clubs resulted in point losses, and the club intensified its criticism of Buyukeksi, even alleging that he was part of the scheme.
Following several point losses and dubious referee calls, particularly in the second half of the season, President Koc convened an extraordinary assembly of the club’s congress members to consider options, including withdrawal from the league.
In that same season, Fenerbahce also took part in the Turkish Super Cup match against Galatasaray with its U19 youth team and forfeited the match after the first goal in protest against the federation.
After Buyukeksi’s tenure, the new president, Haciosmanoglu, assured all clubs that the federation would investigate referee mistakes and work collaboratively to prevent any potential ethical misconduct.
As part of these efforts, foreign Video Assistant Referees (VARs) were introduced in Turkish Super Lig matches, and, upon Fenerbahce’s request, the derby against Galatasaray in the second half of the season was officiated by a foreign referee, Slavko Vincic.
Most recently, Galatasaray’s 3-1 win over Goztepe came under scrutiny after the away team was reduced to 10 players following a red card. In contrast, harsh challenges of Galatasaray players, including Victor Osimhen, went unpunished. After the match, Goztepe shared controversial moments on its social media accounts, stating, "In one word, we were robbed.".
Fenerbahce President Sadettin Saran welcomed TFF President Haciosmanoglu’s announcement, saying the revelations confirmed what the club had long argued.
"We have been saying these things for a long time, and our stance is now being justified. These are shocking and grave matters for Turkish football, but their exposure is promising," Saran said. "Hopefully, this will mark a new beginning, and such things will never happen again."
In an official statement, Fenerbahce described the allegations revealed by TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu as "extremely serious," calling for full disclosure of the referees involved, the matches they officiated, and the impact on Turkish football. The club said restoring public trust requires complete transparency and pledged to closely monitor the investigation.
Galatasaray President Dursun Ozbek also issued a statement, describing the revelations as evidence of a long-standing "crisis of trust and justice" in Turkish football.
"The discovery that referees responsible for ensuring fairness on the field have betting accounts and actively place bets is a heavy blow not only to sporting ethics but also to the core values of Turkish football," the club said.
Ozbek said he personally spoke with Haciosmanoglu and conveyed the club’s readiness to provide full support throughout the process. "Our club will fully support every step taken toward clean and fair football," he said, calling the federation’s actions "an important turning point for Turkish football."
Another major Turkish club, Besiktas, also praised the federation’s efforts following Haciosmanoglu’s announcement, describing the investigation as "a valuable and historic step toward clean football."
The club said it closely followed the revelations about referees holding and actively using betting accounts and urged the Turkish Football Federation to publicly disclose the names of those referees, the matches they officiated, and the types of bets they placed.
"As Besiktas JK, we will pursue this issue to the end and seek all our rights retroactively," the club stated.
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The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an ongoing investigation into referees allegedly involved in betting has been expanded and merged with a related case previously handled by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The statement said TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu’s remarks were treated as a formal report within the scope of the investigation.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that the investigation first began in April 2025 regarding allegations that several referees had placed bets on football matches. Later, additional complaints filed by referees to the Antalya Prosecutor’s Office led to a second investigation into the Central Referee Committee (MHK). These cases have now been consolidated under the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, which continues its work under a single file.
Haciosmanoglu’s statement has been accepted as new evidence, and the investigation will proceed under laws related to illegal betting, sports ethics, and the prevention of violence and disorder in sports, the prosecutor's office said.
Meanwhile, Journalist Murat Agirel alleged that the inquiry began after the TFF’s filing in April and the individual petitions of 11 referees to the Antalya Prosecutor’s Office, with the files later merged and transferred to Istanbul last week.
“This is just the beginning. There are also active goalkeepers and players who bet,” Agirel added.
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