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Turkey Orders Detention of 21 in Football Betting Probe as 18 Are Held

Prosecutors cite match manipulation following a TFF inquiry that exposed widespread betting by referees.

FILE PHOTO: A logo of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) is seen at the entrance of Riva Hasan Dogan national team training centre and education facilities in Istanbul, Turkey December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo/File Photo

Overview

  • Coordinated operations across 12 cities led to at least 18 detentions, and authorities also sought one suspect over misleading social-media posts.
  • The orders cover 17 referees and the president of a Super Lig club, with investigations focused on abuse of duty and influencing match results.
  • A former club owner and a former association president were also ordered detained, and local media named Eyupspor’s Murat Ozkaya and former Kasımpaşa owner Fatih Sarac among those questioned.
  • The TFF separately suspended 149 referees and assistants and imposed eight to 12 month bans following its disciplinary probe into betting by match officials.
  • TFF findings showed 371 of 571 active referees held betting accounts and 152 placed bets, including one with 18,227 wagers and 42 who bet on more than 1,000 matches.