Authorities on Jan. 7 referred more than 200 football figures to disciplinary action as part of a wide-ranging betting investigation that has rocked the country’s professional sport.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said it has sent 108 coaches and 104 agents to its disciplinary committee after determining they violated betting rules over the past five years.
Among those referred are veteran coaches Mehmet Altıparmak and Hakan Keleş, as well as former top-flight players Sercan Yıldırım, Gökhan Ünal and Murat Hacıoğlu. Cenk Ergün, who served as football director at Galatasaray between 2022 and 2024, is also on the list.
The TFF said the coaches were found to have placed bets while working in professional leagues, while the agents bet on matches while registered with the federation and actively involved in the sport.
The investigation began after TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said in October that hundreds of referees had betting accounts and that many were actively gambling. His remarks were treated as a formal tip-off, prompting a sweeping probe by both football authorities and prosecutors.
In the first phase of the investigation, eight people were arrested in November, including Eyüpspor President Murat Özkaya and referees Erkan Arslan, Nevzat Okat and Yakup Yapıcı.
Following disciplinary proceedings, 149 referees were handed suspensions ranging from eight to 12 months.
The crackdown later expanded to players. The federation has since imposed bans ranging from 45 days to 12 months on 102 footballers for betting-related offenses.
Arrests continued in December, with Galatasaray defender Metehan Baltacı, Fenerbahçe midfielder Mert Hakan Yandaş and former Adana Demirspor President Murat Sancak taken into custody as part of the judicial investigation.
Konyaspor player Alassane Ndao, Ankaraspor owner Ahmet Okatan and club president Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu were also arrested.
Figures in the case are accused of betting on matches involving their own teams. Judicial control measures, including travel bans and reporting requirements, were also imposed on 19 people, among them referee Zorbay Küçük.
