10.11.2025 20:59
Nineteen suspects detained as part of the betting investigation were referred to the courthouse following their procedures at the police station.
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19 suspects detained in the operation organized by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office as part of the investigation known to the public as "the referees' membership in betting sites" have been referred to the courthouse.
19 SUSPECTS REFERRED TO THE COURT
Following the technical and physical surveillance conducted by the Cyber Crime Department of the Istanbul Police Department, coordinated by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the procedures of the suspects captured in a simultaneous operation in Istanbul, as well as in Ankara, Şanlıurfa, Kütahya, Manisa, İzmir, Trabzon, Diyarbakır, Bolu, Edirne, Malatya, Antalya, and Kırklareli, have been completed. A total of 19 suspects were referred to the courthouse after their health checks.
WHAT HAPPENED?
After the arrest warrant issued for 21 suspects following the technical and physical surveillance conducted by the Cyber Crime Department of the Istanbul Police Department, coordinated by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a simultaneous operation was carried out in Istanbul, as well as in Ankara, Şanlıurfa, Kütahya, Manisa, İzmir, Trabzon, Diyarbakır, Bolu, Edirne, Malatya, Antalya, and Kırklareli.
EYÜPSPOR PRESIDENT AMONG THEM
In the operation, Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya and former Kasımpaşa Sports Activities AŞ President Fatih Saraç, along with referees Ahmet Kıvanç Kader, Arif Taşkın, Baran Karaman, Batuhan Topçu, Bedirhan Efe Akdoğan, Cihad Buyurgan, Erkan Arslan, Miraç Yıldırım, Mustafa Özel, Nevzat Okat, Nurullah Kırbaş, Sabri Emre Tekin, Şenol Bektaş, Ufuk Tatlıcan, Umut Kaptan, Yakup Yapıcı, and Yasin Şen were detained. Among the suspects, Fatih Saraç was released after his procedures at the police station.
As part of the investigation, Umut Eken, who was issued an arrest warrant for sharing misleading information and documents by making manipulative posts on social media, was caught at Istanbul Airport while entering the country from Germany.
It was stated that Turgay Ciner, who had an arrest warrant against him in the investigation regarding the claim that referees were betting, was abroad.
Statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office
In a statement made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was noted that an investigation was conducted after the press release by the President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, which stated that "371 referees had betting accounts and 152 of them were found to be actively betting" was accepted as a tip-off.
The statement mentioned that, considering that referees are public officials, the monetary values of the betting games evaluated as contrary to their duties, the income they obtained from their refereeing duties, and the comparison of their own incomes outside of their duties, as well as the allegations of match-fixing and influencing match results as stated in the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports, were taken into consideration in the investigation.
It was reported that as a result of the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for 17 referees for "abuse of duty" and the crime of "influencing the outcome of a competition" as stated in Law No. 6222 in the initial phase.
Additionally, due to the evaluation of actions aimed at influencing the outcome of the competition in football leagues, an arrest warrant was issued for M.Ö, the president of a football club in the Trendyol Super League, and for T.C., a former owner of a club, and M.F.S., a former president, for the crime of "influencing the outcome of a competition" as stated in Law No. 6222. It was also stated that an arrest warrant was issued for U.E., who was evaluated to have shared misleading information and documents by making manipulative posts on social media during the investigation, for the crime of "publicly disseminating misleading information," and a total of 21 suspects were issued arrest warrants in the investigation.
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