18.05.2026 17:50
Kayserispor, relegated from the Süper Lig, made a very harsh call to the TFF. The yellow-red club argued that the league should not be registered in its current state due to ongoing investigations and demanded the application of point deductions and relegation penalties.
Kayserispor, who have been relegated from the Süper Lig, made a very harsh call to the Turkish Football Federation. The red-yellow club argued that the 2025/2026 season should not be registered in its current state.
“EQUAL COMPETITION ENVIRONMENT NOT PROVIDED IN TURKISH FOOTBALL”
In the statement made by Kayserispor, it was stated that a fair competition environment was not established in Turkish football throughout the season. The club's statement said, “The sense of justice, which forms the foundation of football, has been damaged, and the developments during the season have created serious question marks in the conscience of the public.”
CALL FOR HEAVY SANCTIONS TO TFF
Kayserispor's management stated that the Turkish Football Federation should take harsher steps within the scope of the ongoing investigations. The club's statement called for the implementation of all sporting sanctions, including points deduction and relegation from the league.
Here is the full statement made by Kayserispor:
“Football, by its nature, is a game with three possible outcomes. Winning, losing, and drawing are inseparable parts of the game and competition. Results are not open to debate as long as they are the outcome of a fair struggle under equal conditions on the field.
However, we regretfully state that in the season we have left behind, an equal competitive environment was not ensured in Turkish football; shadows have been cast over the struggle that should have taken place on the field. The sense of justice, which forms the foundation of football, has been damaged, and the developments during the season have created serious question marks in the conscience of the public.
In the written press release dated 20.02.2026 from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was clearly stated that a total of 33 club officials were found to have engaged in actions aimed at manipulating match results in their own competitions, and operational processes have been initiated in this context. Additionally, some club presidents and executives have been arrested within the scope of these operations. In the face of findings that are extremely grave for Turkish football, it is not sufficient to address the process only from a judicial perspective. It has become imperative, for the sake of football's reliability in our country, competitive equality, and protecting public conscience, to also evaluate actions aimed at influencing match results in terms of sports jurisdiction.
We closely follow the process where, within the scope of investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, public lawsuits have been filed in some cases, judicial measures have been applied against presidents and executives of some clubs competing in the Süper Lig, and arrest warrants have been issued.
Meanwhile, since the beginning of the season, the Turkish Football Federation has operated sporting disciplinary mechanisms; various disciplinary sanctions have been imposed on thousands of players, coaches, and club members. Despite ongoing processes before judicial authorities, the Turkish Football Federation has identified disciplinary violations against some individuals and imposed penal sanctions accordingly.
Given this situation, limiting sanctions to only personal measures for officials against whom serious findings of influencing match results have been made is incompatible with sporting justice and competitive equality. Our club's expectation, in order to protect football's reliability, public conscience, and the sporting integrity of our league, is that necessary sporting sanctions against the relevant individuals and clubs be implemented without hesitation in accordance with the regulations.
Our club believes in the principle of fair and equal competition not only for its own position but for the benefit of Turkish football. Acting with the thought that sporting success only has meaning under transparency, fairness, and equal conditions, our club maintains its belief that the Turkish Football Federation will establish a fair competitive environment in line with the expectations of all football stakeholders.
In this framework, considering the ongoing judicial and sporting disciplinary processes together, we believe that registering the 2025/2026 season in its current state will not satisfy public conscience and will be incompatible with the sense of justice. We hold the view that making the necessary evaluations to eliminate the serious question marks in the football public, fully ensure the principle of competitive equality, and healthily conclude the ongoing processes is imperative for the future of Turkish football. Due to the unfair and unequal competition environment, the sporting reality of our league is being damaged; striving to correct this environment is the duty not only of our club but of everyone who considers the interests of Turkish football.
Given the fact that players and coaches have received heavy penalties such as deprivation of rights up to 12 months for placing low-amount bets through their own identity numbers on legal platforms, it is unacceptable to ignore extremely serious and grave facts such as match-fixing, illegal betting, match-result manipulation, and money laundering at the level of club presidents and executives.
Evaluating the ongoing process in the public solely as a 'betting investigation' would be incomplete and insufficient. Because the allegations emerging within the scope of the investigation point to actions far beyond a simple betting violation; they indicate extremely serious acts of manipulating match results and directly violating sporting competition.
In particular, findings that some club executives have engaged in betting activities that could be considered systematic, aimed at outcomes against their own teams and in favor of opposing teams, present an unacceptable picture in terms of sports ethics and football integrity. A club executive engaging in a relationship of interest based on scenarios where his own team loses and the opponent wins is contrary to the nature of sporting competition and constitutes an extremely serious violation under the basic principles of international sports law.
Indeed, in addition to the judicial processes that occurred while the season was ongoing, the fact that two clubs competing in the Süper Lig have been seized by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) due to ongoing investigations reveals an extremely extraordinary and grave situation for Turkish football. It is not possible to evaluate such grave developments, which directly affect the reliability of sporting competition, only from a judicial perspective. Our club's opinion is that the sporting consequences of interventions of this scale must also be evaluated by the Turkish Football Federation, and applying the sanctions stipulated in the regulations, including points deduction and relegation, is inevitable for establishing a fair competitive environment.
As the public follows, heavy sanctions are imposed by the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee for any disciplinary violations at every level of football.”
{"text":"It is imperative to demonstrate the same determination regarding the serious allegations followed by the state, which directly undermine the credibility and competitive integrity of Turkish football. In this context, we expect the immediate implementation of all sporting sanctions, including point deductions and relegation from the league as stipulated in the regulations concerning the relevant individuals and clubs; we inform the public that our club will fully pursue its rights not only before the institutions of the Republic of Turkey but also before international bodies, particularly FIFA and UEFA.
At this stage, investigations are still ongoing by judicial authorities into the extent of illegal betting, activities aimed at influencing match outcomes, and organized crime allegations. The fact that the investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office will continue comprehensively has been publicly stated by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Osman Sağlam.
Under these circumstances, finalizing sporting results while processes with all dimensions not yet fully uncovered and effects not entirely determined risks causing irreparable consequences for both public conscience and the principle of competitive equality.
For these reasons, we believe that the final results and registration procedures regarding the Süper Lig should not be announced at this stage. It is necessary for the Turkish Football Federation to evaluate all aspects of the processes reflected before judicial authorities; to apply the necessary sanctions within the framework of regulations and legislation against individuals and clubs found to have committed violations by influencing match outcomes, in order to restore a fair and equal competitive environment.
Announced to the public with our respects. "
"}