Istanbul prosecutors on Friday issued arrest warrants for dozens of football players and managers involved in a betting scandal that shook Turkey. Among those detained in police raids carried out in the early hours of the morning were athletes from the country’s main clubs: Mert Hakan Yandas, from Fenerbahçe, and Metehan Baltaci, from Galatasaray, current national champion.
In October, the Turkish Football Federation announced that it was investigating more than 150 referees from professional leagues for their alleged participation in illegal betting on football matches.
The investigation quickly expanded to include players, officials, TV commentators and other sports figures. Last month, more than 100 professional players, including 25 from the top flight, received temporary suspensions.
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On Friday, the Istanbul Prosecutor General’s Office issued arrest warrants for 46 suspects. The prosecutor’s office reported that, as of the morning of the same day, 35 people had already been detained, including the president of Ankaraspor, the vice-president of Antalyaspor and the former president of Adana Demirspor.
Former judge and commentator Ahmet Cakar, as well as acting referee Zorbay Kucuk, were also arrested, news agency DHA reported.
In a statement, prosecutors stated that Baltaci, who previously played for the national youth teams, was caught betting on his own team’s games. Yandas would have placed his bets through third parties.
Seven people, including Cakar and Kucuk, were arrested after “suspicious financial transactions” were identified in their bank accounts.
All suspects were detained under a law aimed at preventing disorder in sport. This legislation criminalizes the manipulation of sports competitions and provides for a prison sentence of one to three years, which may be increased if the crime involves betting markets, managers or affects professional leagues.
According to international and European football regulations, players, referees and club managers are prohibited from betting on matches at any level. The Turkish Football Federation has vowed to fight corruption in sport, with president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu saying he will protect Turkish football from “scandals, decay and corrupt relations”.
