13.11.2025 20:36
MHP Kocaeli Deputy Saffet Sancaklı, who made evaluations regarding the betting investigation in football, stated, "I was shocked even after the numbers were announced. 1,024 football players have placed bets. The total number of players in all leagues is 3,700. The clubs have been managed so poorly that they are complicit in this. Other things will come to light in the coming days."
While discussing the 2026 budget of the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the TBMM Planning and Budget Commission, MP and former national football player Saffet Sancaklı made striking statements regarding the betting scandal that has erupted in Turkish football.
"I WAS SHOCKED TOO"
Speaking at the commission meeting, Saffet Sancaklı drew attention to the severity of the data announced by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), stating, "1024 football players have engaged in betting. There are a total of 3700 players in the Turkish leagues. This means that one-third of the players have engaged in betting. After the figures were announced, I was shocked too," he said.
EXPLAINED HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
Pointing out that the betting mafia particularly targets players through clubs facing financial difficulties, Sancaklı explained the workings of the system by saying, "Clubs that cannot pay match fees are pushing players into the betting mafia. They manipulate them into making wrong decisions. The poor management of clubs supports this vicious cycle."
"IF 1024 PLAYERS ARE TO BE PUNISHED, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY"
Sancaklı argued that instead of turning the scandal into a crisis, it could be an opportunity for renewal in Turkish football. Presenting a striking suggestion, he continued: "If 1024 players are to be punished, let's prevent their transfers. Clubs should bring up young players from the youth academy instead. Next year, we can gain at least 100 new players. If there is a club that does not play young players, it should be relegated."
"MORE WILL COME OUT IN THE DAYS AHEAD"
Emphasizing that the betting operation is just the beginning, Sancaklı stated, "This operation needs to be conducted very carefully. For example, a referee named Zorbay Küçük was announced. I was very surprised too. We immediately registered him in Europe. It turned out he was cleared from a place opened in his name. There are those who have played and those who have made them play. A friend of mine has a father who has made 100 million in bets involving 18 Super League clubs. Many clubs cannot keep up and do not pay on time. This creates an environment that feeds the betting mafia. They immediately manipulate them into making wrong decisions. The ability of football players to think critically is entirely a matter of character. Clubs have been managed so poorly that they contribute to this. Other things will come out in the coming days. If you sink these clubs, you will pay for this money," he said.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On October 27, TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu announced that 152 referees were actively betting. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also announced that the investigation would be deepened. Later, the TFF referred the 152 referees to the PFDK on the grounds that they were 'actively betting.' The list included Zorbay Küçük and six Super League referees who are currently active.
On November 10, with a series of announcements made by the TFF, the administrative precautionary measure against Zorbay Küçük was first lifted. Secondly, 1024 players were referred to the PFDK for engaging in betting. Immediately after, the matches of the 2nd and 3rd leagues were postponed for two weeks.
Finally, recently, among those detained as part of the prosecutor's investigation, eight people, including Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya, were arrested. On November 12, the PFDK lifted the administrative precautionary measure against Beşiktaş players Ersin Destanoğlu and Necip Uysal, who were referred to disciplinary action as part of the betting investigation.
In the betting operation in football, a detention order was issued for 21 people, including 17 referees and one club president from the Super League, and 19 people were detained.
The court decided to arrest eight people, including Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya and referees Erkan Arslan, Nevzat Okat, and Yakup Yapıcı, on the grounds that they were 'attempting to influence the outcome of the match.'
Meanwhile, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) referred 1024 players to the PFDK on November 10 on the grounds that they had 'engaged in betting.'