The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended today 149 referees for periods of 8 to 12 months following a wide-ranging investigation into illegal betting that has shaken the foundations of Turkish football and the credibility of the professional refereeing system.
According to Turkish media reports, the sanctions aim to “protect the integrity of football and its ethical principles”, specifying that the punishments were determined “according to the intensity of the action”. In addition, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a parallel judicial investigation into these sports bets, which in Türkiye can only be made through a state system and in which, by law, referees, players and football managers are forbidden to participate.
The TFF also confirmed that proceedings are continuing against Zorbay Küçük, a referee in the Süper Lig (first division of the Turkish professional football league) and UEFA referee, who has however denied any involvement in illegal betting, claiming that his identity was stolen, for which he filed a criminal complaint this week alleging a theft of personal data. For now, senior referee Melih Kurt and lower league referee Mertcan Tubay remain under investigation, and their cases will be reviewed when further evidence is available.
These suspensions follow a public announcement on 28 October by TFF president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, who revealed that 152 referees had been referred for disciplinary action after gambling activities were detected in an internal audit by the federation, which found that 371 of the 571 referees working in Turkish professional football had open accounts at online bookmakers.
Those referred to the disciplinary committee included seven first-category referees and 15 assistants of the same category, although Küçük was the only one to have officiated a Turkish Super League match this season. According to reports in the local press in the last few hours, the Turkish Football Federation is said to have given first-class referee Egemen Artun a 10-month suspension, while his colleagues at the same level Mehmet Ali Özer, Muhammed Selim Özbek, Seyfettin Alper Yılmaz and Yunus Dursun received 8-month suspensions.
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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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