07.11.2025 12:30
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has accepted the statement made by the President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, as a tip-off and has initiated a betting operation. 17 referees, along with Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya and former Kasımpaşaspor President Mehmet Fatih Saraç, have been taken into custody.
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The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched a betting operation in football. Accepting the statement made by TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu on October 27 that "371 referees have betting accounts and 152 of them are actively betting" as a tip-off, the Prosecutor's Office issued detention orders for 21 individuals.
TWO CLUB PRESIDENTS IN CUSTODY
17 referees along with Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya and former Kasımpaşaspor President Mehmet Fatih Saraç have been detained. It has been determined that 2 individuals, including Kasımpaşa Club owner Turgay Ciner, are abroad.
HERE ARE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST 21 INDIVIDUALS
The suspects are accused of "affecting the outcome of matches" and "sharing misleading information and documents through manipulative posts."
The following statements were included in the announcement made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office:
- Considering that referees are public officials, the monetary values of betting games evaluated as contrary to their duties, the comparison of the income they earn from their refereeing duties and their own income outside of refereeing, and the examination of the allegations of match-fixing and affecting the outcome of matches as stated in the Law on Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports; initially, 17 referees (A.K.K. - A.T. - B.K. - B.T. - B.E.A. - C.B. - E.A. - M.Y. - M.Ö. - N.O. - N.K. - S.E.T. - Ş.B. - U.T. - U.K. - Y.Y. - Y.Ş.) are being investigated for the allegations of "abuse of office" under the Turkish Penal Code and the crime of "affecting the outcome of matches" under Law No. 6222.
- Due to the evaluation of actions aimed at affecting the outcome of matches in football leagues, regarding the allegations of "affecting the outcome of matches" under Law No. 6222 against the president of one football team (M.Ö.) in the Trendyol Super League, a former owner of one team (T.C.), and a former association president (M.F.S).
- During this investigation, regarding the allegation of "publicly disseminating misleading information" under the Turkish Penal Code against an individual named U.E., who is evaluated to have shared misleading information and documents through unverified manipulative posts on social media,
A total of 21 individuals have been subjected to search-seizure and detention measures at addresses in a total of 12 different cities, including Istanbul.
HACIOSMANOĞLU'S WORDS WERE ACCEPTED AS A TIP-OFF
The statement by Turkey Football Federation (TFF) President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, which shook the refereeing community, was accepted as a tip-off by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
The Prosecutor's Office stated that the investigation would deepen and continue. It was reported that there is an ongoing investigation and that the latest allegations would also be addressed within this scope.
Following TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu's statements, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that an investigation had been initiated regarding the betting allegations involving some referees who officiated in football matches in April 2025.
In the announcement of the Prosecutor's Office, it was also pointed out that there is an ongoing investigation, stating:
"While this investigation is ongoing, after news that some other referees had applied to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an additional investigation process was initiated regarding the MHK, and due to the already ongoing investigation, this new investigation in the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was sent to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office with a lack of jurisdiction decision, and both investigation files are being merged and research is continuing under a single file."
The Prosecutor's Office also stated that the statement made by İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu regarding "referees with betting accounts" was accepted as a tip-off regarding the ongoing investigation, and included the following statements:
"With the identification of these referees, the ongoing investigation will be further deepened regarding the allegations of violating the Law on Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports No. 6222, violating the Law on Sports Clubs and Sports Federations No. 7405, violating the Law on Regulation of Betting and Gambling in Football and Other Sports Competitions No. 7258, and other criminal allegations to be identified."
The statement that deepened the investigation came from Turkey Football Federation (TFF) President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu. Hacıosmanoğlu claimed that 371 referees have betting accounts and that it has been determined that 152 of them are actively betting. TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu stated that necessary sanctions would be imposed on these referees.
MASAK REPORTS WILL ALSO BE COMING
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that MASAK reports, HTS records, subscription records of accessible domestic and foreign betting sites, and records and witness statements regarding the determination of betting activities on these sites are being obtained within the scope of the ongoing investigation.
In the announcement, it was stated that it should be noted that analyzing these records belonging to thousands of individuals and dozens of institutions over a retrospective period of at least 5 years takes a certain amount of time and requires intense labor, and only after these analyses will the identification of the real suspects lead to necessary judicial actions against them.
149 REFEREES RECEIVED A BAN ON PARTICIPATION
The Turkey Football Federation (TFF) Professional Football Discipline Board (PFDK) imposed a ban on participation for 149 referees ranging from 8 to 12 months in the betting investigation, while the investigation for 3 referees was ongoing.
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