A wide-ranging investigation into illegal gambling involving people in Turkish football is underway, with hundreds of players, club owners and referees under scrutiny.
As the investigation widened, police conducted a series of raids, arrested more than 1,000 players and suspended 1,000 players.
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Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president Ibrahim Hasiosmanoglu said at a press conference this week that he saw a “growing sense of panic” in Turkish football “as the operation deepens.”
Last month, the TFF suspended 1,024 professional league players as part of a betting investigation.
It subsequently imposed bans on 102 players from the top two leagues for “betting-related activities”.
Last week, prosecutors ordered the arrest of 46 people, including players, club presidents, commentators and a referee, over insider betting in Türkiye’s professional league.
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Those detained include Galatasaray player Methan Baltaci and Fenerbahce captain Methakan Jendas, as well as former Adana Demir Sports president Murat Sancak.
Players, club officials and match officials are prohibited from engaging in betting activities in accordance with TFF, FIFA and UEFA regulations.
So what is going on in Türkiye and how will things develop?
How did the investigation begin?
The betting scandal first broke out on October 27, with the focus focused on referees.
The TFF’s five-year investigation found that 371 of Türkiye’s 571 match officials held betting accounts, of which 152 were actively gambling.
While some people only bet once, 42 people have placed bets on more than 1,000 football matches, with one official found to have placed bets 18,227 times.
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Among these 152 referees, 7 are top referees and 15 are top assistant referees.
Shortly after TFF made the announcement in October, Istanbul’s chief criminal prosecutor said the statement would be considered a formal criminal complaint and would expand the ongoing investigation.
The ensuing investigation expanded beyond match officials.
November 7: Prosecutors ordered the detention of 21 people on suspicion of “manipulating match results” and “sharing misleading information online.”
November 10: Eight suspects were arrested, including Murat Ozkaya, chairman of Super League team Eyupspor.
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November 10: The TFF said 1,024 offending players have been referred to the disciplinary committee. With so many players suspended, TFF asked FIFA for a further 15 days outside of the winter transfer window so clubs can deal with squad shortages.
November 13: 102 players from the Premier League and League Two received bans ranging from 45 days to 12 months. These include Baltaci (9 months) and Eren Elmali (45 days).
November 18: 282 third-line players were suspended.
November 20: A further 638 fourth tier and independent players are banned.
Prosecutors launch second wave of investigation
On November 20, Istanbul chief prosecutor Akin Gurlek said further arrests were possible, saying many suspects placed their bets through relatives or middlemen.
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December 5: A second wave of arrests is underway, with a total of 46 people detained.
December 8: Another 20 people were formally arrested, including Yandas, Baltaci and Sancak.
What do Yandas and Baltach say?
Prosecutors allege that Yandas had extensive financial dealings with a long-term associate, with funds transferred into accounts used for betting on Fenerbahce matches.
They claimed Yandas’ actions were “designed to influence the outcome of the match”.
Yandas denies betting on his own matches. He said he lent the money to someone who had helped him financially before and had no idea the money would be used for gambling.
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He denies any involvement in match-fixing.
Prosecutors accused Baltaci of placing bets on 27 of his team’s games through legal websites and illegal betting platforms and “personally engaging in betting activities aimed at influencing the outcome of games.”
Baltaci admitted betting as a young player and claimed he was unaware it was illegal, but denied betting on Galatasaray games after joining the senior team.
Allegations ‘seriously damage Turkish football’
Jasiosmanoglu said TFF had shared its gambling investigation report based on national intelligence with FIFA and UEFA. Neither organization has commented publicly.
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Three Turkish clubs are currently competing in Europe: Galatasaray in the Champions League, Fenerbahce in the Europa League and Samsun in the Division League.
Galatasaray’s Elmari was suspended for 45 days, removed from the national team squad and missed the Champions League. Baltaci was not selected for Galatasaray’s European squad this season. Samsunspor’s Selil Uksel was also suspended for 45 days.
Sports lawyer Anil Dinser told BBC Sport the scandal had “severely damaged the image of Turkish football” but said a transparent process could have positive long-term effects.
“If managed well, Türkiye can send a strong message to the world: Turkish football has been cleaned up,” he said.
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He warned that poor management or a lack of transparency could lead to sanctions from UEFA or FIFA, including possible bans on Turkish clubs from European competitions.
Some of Türkiye’s top clubs have commented.
Besiktas said the preliminary investigation into the referee “could mark a new beginning for clean football”, while Trabzonspor called the development “a historic opportunity to restore justice in Turkish football”.
Turkey’s football betting scandal is not over yet, with possible criminal charges, court cases and further bans looming.