17 Referees Arrested in Turkey Over Match-Fixing Scandal

The Turkish football world has been shaken by an unprecedented corruption scandal centered on football referees. As part of a large-scale investigation into match-fixing bets, 21 people have been arrested, 17 of whom are active referees.

As reported by the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office, the law enforcement operations took place in 12 regions of the country, including Istanbul. Among those arrested are not only referees but also high-ranking representatives of football clubs. Specifically, the president of the "Eyüpspor" club, Murat Özkaya, and the former owner of the "Kasımpaşa" club, Fatih Saraç, have been detained.

During the investigative actions, it was revealed that two of the suspected referees are abroad, and another could not be found at his place of residence. Appropriate measures are also being taken against them.

The basis for the launch of this large-scale investigation was a scandalous revelation made by the president of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu. During a press conference on October 27, the head of the federation presented shocking data that revealed the scale of the systemic problem.

According to Hacıosmanoğlu, out of 571 referees working in professional leagues, 371, that is, almost two-thirds, have accounts with bookmakers. Moreover, 152 of them are actively placing bets. These numbers, in fact, testify to a very serious conflict of interest and huge risks of illegal influence on the results of football matches. In fact, every fourth referee regularly participates in betting games, which is unacceptable for this sport.

This scandal casts a serious shadow on the reputation of Turkish football. The investigation is ongoing, and it is expected that it may reveal new links in the corruption network, further deepening the crisis in which Turkish football finds itself.