Turkey orders the arrest of another 29 people as it expands its gambling investigation

Prosecutors have ordered the arrest of a further 29 people in an investigation into betting on Turkish professional football, with a former Galatasaray executive among those arrested. NTV and other media said so on Friday.

With reference to a statement from the Public Prosecution Service NTV said 24 of the 29 suspects were being held, including former Galatasaray chief executive Erden Timur.

Timur and Galatasaray were not immediately available for comment.

Four others were still wanted, while another suspect was already in jail, the statement said.

READ | Turkey jails top players pending trial in gambling investigation

NTV said 14 of the suspects were players in Turkish leagues, without naming them, while ‌six were wanted for ‌bets on a Super Lig match between Kasimpasa and Samsunspor‍in October 2024.

The Turkish Football Federation has suspended 149 referees and assistants in the past month for betting on matches. The net widened with the arrest of a further eight people, including the chairman of a top club, and the suspension of 1,024 players from all competitions, with the federation also imposing bans.

Earlier this month, prosecutors ordered the arrest of 46 people, including players, club presidents, commentators and a referee, for insider betting. A Turkish court later jailed 20 suspects, including Super Lig players, pending trial.

Published on December 26, 2025