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Major Sweep in Turkish Football Betting Scandal: 29 Detained Including High-Ranking National Team Official


Turkish authorities launched a sweeping new operation on Friday in the ongoing investigation into illegal betting activities in football, resulting in detention orders for 29 individuals, including prominent figures from the country's football establishment.

According to Turkish news outlet T24, the latest wave of arrests marks a significant escalation in what has become one of the most extensive match-fixing investigations in Turkish football history. Among those facing detention orders are Erden Timur, former executive of powerhouse club Galatasaray; Buğra Cem İmamoğulları, the Turkish Football Federation's Administrative Director of Foreign Relations and National Teams; and Fatih Kulaksız, Vice President of Eyüpspor. Of the 29 suspects named, 24 have been successfully detained, with 14 of them being active professional footballers.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a detailed statement outlining the scope of the investigation. Authorities revealed that evidence was gathered through multiple channels, including data obtained from MASAK (Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board), legal betting websites, open-source research, Professional Football Disciplinary Committee decisions, and digital forensic analysis of devices seized during two previous operations.

The prosecutor's statement specifically highlighted that 14 footballers are accused of placing bets against their own teams—wagering on opposing teams to win their matches—a particularly serious allegation that strikes at the heart of sporting integrity.

Additionally, six suspects allegedly placed bets on the October 26, 2024, match between Kasımpaşa and Samsunspor, which investigators believe was manipulated to influence the final result. Seven other suspects were identified through their connections to a previously arrested individual, with authorities flagging suspicious financial transactions linked to the betting scheme.

Regarding Erden Timur, the prosecutor's office stated that examination of his bank accounts revealed suspicious financial activities potentially violating Law No. 6222 (concerning violence and disorder in sports), Law No. 5549 (prevention of money laundering), and Law No. 7258 (illegal betting regulations).

The simultaneous operations were conducted across 11 provinces with Istanbul serving as the operational center. One suspect named in the detention order, Enes Bartan, was already incarcerated at the time of the announcement.

This latest operation follows the December 10 arrest of Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya, who was remanded in custody on charges of influencing match outcomes—an arrest that sent shockwaves through Turkish football circles.

Among the footballers detained are Bahattin Berke Demircan, Doğukan Çınar, Ergün Nazlı, Eyüp Can Temiz, Furkan Demir, Gökhan Payal, Hamit Bayraktar, Hüseyin Aybars Tüfekçi, İbrahim Yılmaz, İlke Tankul, İsmail Karakaş, Mert Aktaş, and Tufan Kelleci.

Other detained individuals include Figen Özkaya, a retiree; Emrah Günaydı, a former police officer; and various business professionals and company partners.

The investigation continues to expand, with authorities indicating that further operations may be forthcoming as digital evidence from previous raids continues to yield new leads. The scandal has raised serious questions about the integrity of Turkish football and the extent of illegal betting networks operating within the sport.

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