Overview
- The head of the Central Referees Committee, his deputy and several others were arrested in a multi-province police operation and have appeared before an Istanbul judge on allegations including falsifying documents, abuse of trust and illegal acquisition of personal data.
- The Istanbul prosecutorate's Bureau for illegal betting and sporting crimes is handling the case and Istanbul's financial crimes unit has also detained two active Süper Lig referees as the probe expands.
- Local media have published alleged recorded phone calls that appear to show the refereeing chief influencing match appointments and VAR assignments, but those recordings remain under review and are developing evidence.
- The Turkish Football Federation says it is cooperating with investigators, denies that digital files were deleted before raids and notes it filed criminal complaints with the Istanbul prosecutor since April 2025 after an internal inquiry found broad referee links to betting accounts.
- Political pressure is rising because senior ministers have framed illegal betting as a major national-security and economic issue, and commentators warn the scandal could prompt extraordinary federation votes or leadership changes and widen to club officials.