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Former Galatasaray Sportif AS Vice Chairman Erden Timur was among 24 people detained early Friday in a widening football betting investigation, with 14 players accused of betting against their own teams, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced.
Detention orders were issued for 29 suspects in simultaneous operations across 11 provinces. Of these, 24 were detained, one was found to be already in prison for another crime, and efforts continue to locate the remaining four.
The prosecutor's office said the investigation, known publicly as the "Football Betting Investigation," was based on evidence from Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) data, legal betting site records, open source research, Turkish Football Federation Professional Football Disciplinary Committee (PFDK) decisions, HTS (cell tower) analysis, and digital evidence seized in two previous operations.
According to the prosecutor's statement, the 29 suspects include 14 football players accused of betting on their own team's matches "in a way that would affect the match result"—specifically betting for the opposing team to win.
Seven suspects are linked to a detained suspect from previous operations with "suspicious financial transactions," while six suspects bet on the Oct. 26, 2024, Kasimpasa-Samsunspor match "in a way that would affect the match result."
One suspect was found to have suspicious financial transactions and linked betting accounts.
The prosecutor's office specifically identified Timur as a former administrator at Galatasaray Sports Club whose bank account examination revealed "suspicious financial transactions connected to each other" deemed to violate Law No. 6222 Article 11 (prevention of violence and disorder in sports), Law No. 5549 (prevention of money laundering) and Law No. 7258 (betting regulation).
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Thursday's detentions mark the third wave of operations in the football betting investigation. The probe has expanded significantly since initial operations, with authorities using financial records, telecommunications data and digital evidence to identify additional suspects.
The investigation centers on match-fixing allegations, with players specifically accused of betting against their own teams, a serious violation under Turkish sports law.
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