Turkish prosecutors on Friday issued detention warrants for 21 people, including 17 referees and two top football executives, as part of a major betting and match-fixing investigation.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said on X that the operation was launched after Turkish Football Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu publicly revealed on October 27 that hundreds of referees had placed bets, a violation of league rules and Turkish law.
The office said the statement was treated as a formal tip-off and that the investigation would look into possible “abuse of office” and “influencing the outcome of a match” under Law No. 6222, which is Turkey’s main legislation against match-fixing and violence in sports.
Police carried out coordinated raids in 12 provinces, detaining 18 people. Two suspects were found to be abroad, and one person could not be located.
Among those named are Murat Özkaya, president of Eyüpspor, a football club in Istanbul that recently moved up to the Turkish Super League, and two businessmen with close ties to another top-tier club, Kasımpaşa, namely media executive Mehmet Fatih Saraç and tycoon Turgay Ciner.
Both men are known figures in Turkey’s media and business world. Saraç, a former president of Kasımpaşa and once a senior executive at the Habertürk TV network, was detained and questioned in İstanbul. His name last appeared in the public spotlight in 2013, when leaked police wiretaps suggested he took editorial instructions from then–prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about how to edit news tickers at Habertürk TV.
Ciner, the billionaire owner of the Ciner Group with interests in mining, energy and glass manufacturing, is the founder of Habertürk and the long-time owner of Kasımpaşa. Prosecutors said he is abroad, and Turkish media reported that an arrest warrant was already issued for him in an unrelated money-laundering investigation earlier this year.
In September a court placed Kasımpaşa under the control of Turkey’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), which commonly acts as a state trustee when companies face legal or financial troubles.
The prosecutor’s office said it is also investigating journalist Umut Eken, who allegedly shared “manipulative posts” about the case on social media. He denied being detained and said he was abroad but returning to Turkey to give a statement.
The scandal began when the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) discovered that 371 of the country’s 571 active referees had betting accounts, and 152 had placed wagers, including on football matches. Betting on matches is prohibited for referees under both Turkish law and international football regulations.
TFF President Hacıosmanoğlu said during a press conference that one referee had placed over 18,000 bets, while 10 others had placed more than 10,000 each. He called the situation “a moral crisis in Turkish football.”
Following the TFF’s findings, the federation’s Professional Football Disciplinary Board suspended 149 referees and assistants for periods ranging from eight to 12 months.
In its statement the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that referees are considered public officials under Turkish law and that betting on games while officiating constitutes a breach of duty. It also said the case involves reviewing referees’ personal income, possible match-fixing and financial irregularities across Turkey’s professional leagues.
The office said its investigation is separate from the federation’s disciplinary process, though evidence collected by both will be assessed.