Turkey Arrests 17 Referees and Super Lig Club President in Expanding Football Betting Scandal

Turkey’s football system has been plunged into turmoil as prosecutors ordered the arrest of 21 individuals, including 17 referees and the president of a top-tier Super Lig club, amid a sweeping probe into illegal betting and suspected match-fixing. The detentions, carried out across 12 cities, represent one of the largest legal crackdowns the country has ever seen in relation to football integrity.

Authorities confirmed that 18 of the 21 suspects are already in custody. Charges levelled against them include abuse of duty, distorting match outcomes, and disseminating misleading information online—offences that carry serious legal consequences under Turkish law. Among those held are a sitting Super Lig club president, a former club owner, and a former association head, signaling that concerns extend beyond match officials to the leadership of Turkish football institutions.

The arrests come on the heels of an unprecedented disciplinary action by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), which suspended 149 referees and assistant referees earlier this week for placing bets on football matches. This activity violates strict national regulations as well as international codes enforced by FIFA and UEFA, which bar any involvement in football-related gambling.

The TFF’s internal investigation, spanning five years, uncovered shocking data: out of 571 active referees in the country, 371 had registered betting accounts, and 152 of them actively engaged in gambling. The extent of wagering was wide-ranging. While some referees placed only a few bets, others showed extreme patterns. One official logged more than 18,000 bets, while 42 individuals each placed over 1,000 wagers.

TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the revelations as evidence of an ethical breakdown at the heart of Turkish football. He pushed back against claims that the betting culture emerged from financial strain, stating that referees had received timely and improved payments over the past two years. “The root issue is ethical, not economic,” he said in a televised interview.

The federation has imposed bans ranging from eight to twelve months on the implicated officials, and three cases remain under review. A comprehensive list of sanctioned referees has already been made public.

The widening crisis has raised urgent questions about the credibility of Turkey’s domestic leagues and the robustness of its sporting governance. Both state authorities and football regulators have vowed to take extensive legal and disciplinary steps to restore trust in the game.

As the investigation deepens, Turkish football faces a pivotal moment—one that will shape its reputation, oversight mechanisms, and future commitment to fair competition.