Turkey Orders Detention of 46 in Football Betting Probe, Including 29 Players

Overview

• Prosecutors say 27 of the players are suspected of betting on matches involving their own teams.
• Authorities named Galatasaray’s Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahçe’s Mert Hakan Yandas as suspects, with Baltaci among those detained.
• Detention orders also target the presidents of two third-division clubs over an alleged attempt to influence a 2023–24 match.
• Officials report 35 of the 46 people sought have been detained so far.
• Earlier actions in the same probe included the detention of six referees and the Eyüpspor president, while the TFF has suspended nearly 150 referees, 25 top-tier players, and close to 1,000 lower-division players for up to 12 months.