Turkish prosecutors launched a major operation in the early hours of 5 December that included a new wave of raids and arrests as part of an expanded investigation into illegal bets and alleged match-fixing in the country’s professional football, resulting in the arrest of dozens of footballers, managers and sports media figures, including prominent players from Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray and a famous sports TV commentator.
Turkish football was rocked by a new seismic shock on Friday when prosecutors launched a wide-ranging pre-dawn operation involving the arrest of players, managers, agents and even television presenters, deepening a sports corruption scandal that is already shaking the foundations of the game in Turkey. According to media outlets such as Hürriyet, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered simultaneous operations in 16 provinces across the country, with 46 suspects identified and 35 arrested in the first searches carried out this morning.
Among those detained in the macro-raid is former referee and well-known TV analyst Ahmet Çakar, who is under investigation after suspicious financial movements were detected when his accounts were reviewed. The 60-year-old former referee, known for his controversial comments and regular media appearances, is one of the most recognisable faces of Turkish sport in the media.
Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray players among those arrested
The repercussions of the operation grew further: Fenerbahçe captain Mert Hakan Yandaş was arrested at his home in Istanbul shortly after 6 a.m., accused of having placed sports bets – something forbidden by law in Turkey for players, referees and managers – using someone else’s account. According to digital records, his activity dates back to 2014, and his arrest deals a blow to a key player in Fenerbahçe’s recent recovery.
Another of those arrested is Galatasaray defender Metehan Baltacı, putting the scandal at the centre of the most high-profile clubs in Turkish football’s top flight league. Investigators claim new evidence seized on Friday links Baltacı to coordinated illegal betting on third-division matches, and potentially to wider match-fixing networks.
Istanbul prosecutors’ office confirmed at least 46 arrests in several provinces during the morning, in the most extensive phase so far of an investigation that has been expanding from the Süper Lig (first division) to lower and amateur levels. Authorities say many of the suspects are linked to manipulated performances, organised betting networks and internal leaks sent to overseas gambling platforms.
Most of the bets were done in 2. Lig and 3. Lig (3rd and 4th division) matches, where control is more limited and players have smaller budgets. During the investigation and subsequent raid, investigators reportedly uncovered encrypted chats, bank transfers and electronic devices that they believe point to a sophisticated manipulation network embedded in the lower divisions of Turkish football.
Hundreds of professional referees implicated in betting and match fixing
The scandal over illegal betting in Turkish football first erupted in late October, when Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu revealed that internal audits had detected betting accounts linked to 371 referees, more than two-thirds of the total number of professional referees registered with the TFF. Of these, 152 reportedly bet on matches they officiated or could influence; one referee alone placed more than 18,000 bets, many of them linked to matches at lower levels.
His statements led to the opening of an investigation by the public prosecutor’s office into referees, club employees and players; the first phase of the investigation resulted in 21 arrests, including 17 referees, eight of whom were remanded in custody, while the TFF terminated the refereeing careers of 149 referees and imposed temporary sanctions on many others.
As the investigations progressed, the Football Federation referred more than a thousand footballers from the four main divisions – including 27 from the Süper Lig– to its disciplinary committee for involvement in illegal betting: more than a hundred have already been sanctioned with suspensions of between 45 days and 12 months, including first division players such as Eren Elmalı and Metehan Baltacı, both Galatasaray players, as well as numerous footballers in lower divisions.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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