There was a shocking development in Turkish football. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a large-scale operation within the scope of a betting investigation that resonated in the sports world. Within the scope of the investigation, a detention order was issued for a total of 21 people, including 17 referees, 1 Super League club president, 1 former club owner and 1 former association president.
In the statement made by the prosecutor’s office, it was stated that the process was initiated after the statement made by the President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, on October 27, 2025, stating that “371 referees had betting accounts and 152 of them were actively betting” was accepted as a notice.
ACCUSES AGAINST REFEREES AND CLUB MANAGERS
Within the scope of the investigation, 17 referees were accused of “abuse of duty” and “influencing the outcome of the competition” numbered 6222 in the Turkish Penal Code.
Additionally, judicial proceedings were initiated against the president of a club competing in the Trendyol Super League (M.Ö.), the former owner of a team (TC) and the former president of an association (MFS) for the same crime.
However, it was reported that action was taken against a person (UE) who was found to have made manipulative posts on social media and spread misleading information, within the scope of the crime of “publicly disseminating misleading information to the public”.
SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS IN 12 CITIES
Search, seizure and detention measures were taken against a total of 21 people in 12 different cities, including Istanbul. In the statement made by the prosecutor’s office, it was emphasized that the scope of the investigation is quite wide and all individuals and institutions in the football ecosystem will be carefully examined.
DIFFERENCE OF TFF AND JUDICIAL PROCESS
In the statement of the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was stated that the administrative investigation carried out by TFF and the judicial process were proceeding independently of each other:
“Although the disciplinary processes carried out by the TFF will be utilized, judicial evaluations will be made completely independently. It is also possible to take judicial action against people for whom the TFF has not taken action.”
WARNING TO THE PUBLIC
At the end of the statement, it was emphasized that unconfirmed information circulating on social media should not be relied upon:
“It is announced to the public that no information, especially on social media, whose source cannot be identified should be relied upon, and that the investigation will continue with determination by collecting all evidence.”