Turkey: New Arrests in Widespread Sports Betting Probe

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday a third wave of operations as part of an investigation into sports betting cases, leading to the arrest of approximately 30 Turkish football figures.

Arrest warrants were issued for 29 individuals, including 14 footballers, with 24 of them taken into custody. Six suspects are accused of "influencing the outcome of the Kasımpaşa vs. Samsunspor match" played on October 26, 2024. The 14 players are accused of "placing bets in a manner that affects the match outcome" by wagering on the opposing team to win in their own teams' matches.

Among the figures questioned were former Galatasaray Vice President (2022-2024) Erden Timur, Eyüpspor Vice President Fatih Kolsuz, and an official from the Turkish Football Federation.

The operations covered eleven provinces and are now concentrated in Istanbul. The investigation revealed suspicious banking transactions, including "cash inflows and outflows considered linked to betting, suspicions of concealing the source of funds, and unusual financial transactions."

This ongoing investigation had previously led to the imprisonment of six referees and the president of Eyüpspor in early November. In its effort to "cleanse" Turkish football, the Turkish Football Federation suspended nearly 150 referees (all their licenses were revoked) and approximately 1025 players across various divisions last month due to similar betting violations.