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Turkish authorities arrest eight people and suspend 1,024 players in betting probe

Turkish authorities have arrested eight people as part of a probe into alleged betting on football matches, per Reuters. 

The Turkish football federation (TFF) has also announced that they have suspended 1,024 players pending disciplinary investigations. 

Eyupspor chairman Murat Ozkaya is among the people arrested, per the country’s state-owned Anadolu news agency. Eyupsor play in the top-tier Turkish Super Lig. 

The TFF have found hundreds of referees to be involved in widespread sports betting activity. 

One hundred and forty-nine referees and assistant referees have already been suspended over illegal betting activities. 

In a statement, the TFF confirmed that 1,024 professional players have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK). 

Among those named are 27 Super Lig players, including Galatasaray’s Eren Elmali and Metehan Baltaci, Besiktas’ Necip Uysal and Ersin Destanoglu, and Trabzonspor’s Boran Baskan and Salih Malkocoglu. 

To help clubs manage squad deficiencies, the TFF has initiated negotiations with FIFA to introduce a 15-day transfer and registration period, in addition to the regular 2025-26 winter transfer window. 

Matches in the second and third-tier leagues have also been suspended for two weeks, while the TFF board is set to hold an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday.  

Sports betting is legal in Turkey, but it is strictly prohibited for referees under both FIFA and UEFA codes. Even registering a betting account for an official constitutes a breach of integrity.

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