Ex-vice from top club also suspected
More arrests: betting scandal in Turkey getting worse
12/26/2025 – 9:56 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
The Turkish judiciary is apparently continuing to take rigorous action in the investigation into the football betting scandal. Now a former Galatasaray official has also come into focus.
The betting scandal in Turkish football continues to spread. Now arrests have been made again. According to consistent Turkish media reports, arrest warrants were issued against 29 people – and are said to have targeted influential former makers of the Turkish record champions. The former Vice President of Galatasaray Istanbul, Erden Timur, is apparently among those arrested.
In a simultaneous operation in eleven provinces, 24 people have already been arrested, including 44-year-old Timur and 14 football players. One person is already in prison for another crime, the search for the remaining four is ongoing.
According to the media, the Istanbul Prosecutor General’s Office announced that when Timur’s bank accounts were checked, it was found that he had made suspicious financial transactions and thus violated several laws. The football players would therefore have bet on the outcome of games.
The betting scandal has been shaking Turkish football for several weeks. At the end of October, the Turkish Football Association (TFF) announced allegations that a total of 152 referees were said to have actively placed bets.
Clubs and players are also being investigated: 149 referees and more than 1,000 players have so far been suspended for the duration of the investigation. 27 players from the Turkish top league Süperlig are affected, including professionals from the top clubs Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Besiktas Istanbul as well as Trabzonspor. Other club bosses are also among the suspects. In total, over 570 active referees are now said to be involved in the case.