Turkish football players and club presidents arrested as part of investigation into gambling scandal

Prosecutors in Istanbul issued arrest warrants Friday for dozens of footballers and officials in connection with a gambling scandal that has rocked Turkey.

Among those arrested by police in the early morning were players from Turkey’s most important clubs: Mert Hakan Yandas of Fenerbahce and Metehan Baltaci of champions Galatasaray.

The Turkish Football Federation said in October it was investigating more than 150 referees in professional leagues for allegedly betting on football matches.

The investigation soon expanded to include players, administrators, TV commentators and others in the sport. Last month, more than 100 professional players, including 25 from the Premier League, were temporarily banned.

Istanbul’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants against 46 suspects on Friday. The office said on Friday morning that 35 people had already been arrested, including the chairman of Ankaraspor, the vice-chairman of Antalyaspor and the former chairman of Adana Demirspor.

Former referee and commentator Ahmet Cakar and current referee Zorbay Kucuk were also arrested, DHA news agency reported.

In a statement, prosecutors said Baltaci, who previously played for youth national teams, had placed bets on his own team’s matches. Yandas is said to have placed his bets through someone else.

Seven people, including Cakar and Kucuk, were arrested after “suspicious financial transactions” were found in their bank accounts.

All suspects were detained under a law aimed at preventing disorder in sports, the statement said. The law criminalizes the manipulation of sports competitions and carries a prison sentence of one to three years, which can be increased if the offense is related to betting markets, involves officials or affects professional competitions.

Under global and European football regulations, players, referees and club officials are prohibited from betting on matches at any level.

Turkey’s Football Association has pledged to clean up the sport, with President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu saying he would protect the sport from «scandal, decline and corrupt relations».

Published on December 5, 2025