Seventeen Turkish referees under investigation for betting scandal

Turkish authorities have launched a sweeping probe into a betting scandal that has rocked the country’s football community, with prosecutors issuing detention warrants for 21 persons, including 17 referees and a top-flight club president.

According to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office, 18 suspects were detained in early-morning raids across Istanbul and 11 other provinces on Friday.

The referees, identified only by their initials, are being investigated for alleged “abuse of office” and “influencing the outcome of a match.”

Read Also: Turkey FA suspends 149 referees over widespread betting scandal

According to an AP report, among those questioned are Murat Ozkaya, president of Turkish Super Lig club Eyupspor, and Fatih Sarac, former owner of Kasımpasa.

Turkish media, including Cumhuriyet newspaper, reported that Kasımpasa had earlier been placed under trusteeship following a separate corruption investigation into its former holding company.

The scandal intensified after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) last week suspended 149 referees and assistant referees.

TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu disclosed that a government probe had revealed 371 of the country’s 571 active referees held betting accounts. Of those, 152 allegedly placed bets on football matches, including seven top-tier referees and 15 assistant referees.

Haciosmanoglu described the findings as “deeply alarming,” noting that some referees placed bets on thousands of matches.