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Türkiye detained seven people, including Ferhat Gundogdu, head of the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) Central Refereeing Committee (MHK), in a major operation targeting figures involved in the country's football refereeing system over alleged interference in referee appointments, rankings and examinations.
The operation was carried out in Istanbul, Ankara, Elazig and Manisa as part of an investigation into allegations involving referee management and official documents. Gundogdu was detained alongside Turkish Football Federation Active Referees Association President Ferdi Karadoruk, former TFF Central Refereeing Committee Deputy Chairman Ahmet Sahin and former committee member Yunus Yildirim.
TFF Education and 4th Regional Officer Sebahattin Sahin, Istanbul branch organization officer Alican Saglar of the TFF Referees and Observers Association, and Emre Kosif, chairman of the association's Istanbul Provincial Refereeing Committee, were also detained.
The investigation focuses on allegations that key parts of Türkiye's refereeing system were subject to interference, including referee classifications, match assignments, scoring and appointments. Authorities are also examining claims of interference in rule examinations for referees, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said.
Investigators assessed possible links between Gundogdu and other referees, observers and Central Refereeing Committee members and the alleged conduct after reviewing open-source research, Financial Crimes Investigation Board records, phone traffic data, complainant and witness accounts and expert findings.
Gurlek said the operation followed a review of the evidence gathered during the inquiry. Authorities also carried out judicial searches at the suspects' homes, workplaces and offices. The minister emphasized that no one's position, title or role provided special treatment under the law and acknowledged football fans' concerns over the fairness of refereeing procedures.
"We will resolutely continue our fight for clean football to shed light on allegations that undermine trust in Turkish football, ensure those responsible are held accountable before the law, and make sure football is remembered for hard work, competition and sportsmanship on the pitch," he noted.
The latest probe follows years of disputes over referee appointments, classifications and the role of the MHK, with major Turkish clubs repeatedly questioning the system's fairness.
Gundogdu has been at the center of those disputes. He first became MHK chairman in 2021 and resigned from the committee in 2022 before returning to the post in 2024. Former Fenerbahce president Ali Koc repeatedly criticized him, particularly over the 2022 decision to remove several experienced referees and reshuffle the classification lists.
The wider debate has also included allegations that referee decisions and appointments favor certain clubs. In 2024, Fenerbahce accused an alleged "underground organization" of influencing matches through referees, prompting the TFF to bring in foreign VAR officials for key Super Lig games amid claims of bias.
The current investigation goes further, with prosecutors examining allegations that referee and observer lists were improperly changed in 2022 and 2024, while some referees were excluded from classifications, denied assignments or given preferential treatment, according to initial findings.
Authorities are also investigating alleged interference in the 2025 rules exam at the TFF's Riva facilities, including claims that exam questions, grading and some referees' results were altered. The case also includes allegations of mobbing and document forgery involving several MHK figures.
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