The Turkish football betting scandal has taken a dramatic turn with the detention of 29 new suspects, including a former executive from Galatasaray, Erden Timur. Simultaneous operations spanned 11 provinces, resulting in 24 arrests thus far. One suspect was already incarcerated for an unrelated crime, and authorities are actively searching for the remaining four individuals.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has accused 14 of the suspects of betting against their own teams "in a way that would affect the match result," specifically betting on the opposing team to win. Six other suspects are linked to a previous detainee and are implicated in "suspicious financial transactions". Furthermore, six suspects allegedly placed bets on the Kasimpasa-Samsunspor match on October 26, 2024, "in a way that would affect the match result".
Erden Timur, the former Galatasaray executive, is among those detained. According to the prosecutor's office, an examination of Timur's bank accounts revealed "suspicious financial transactions connected to each other" that are deemed violations of Law No. 6222 Article 11 (prevention of violence and disorder in sports), Law No. 5549 (prevention of money laundering), and Law No. 7258 (betting regulation). Timur is specifically accused of "influencing the outcome of a specific sports competition," "illegal betting," and "money laundering".
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) first announced an internal audit on October 27, 2025, which revealed widespread betting activity among referees. The audit included all 571 professional referees in Turkey and found that 371 of them (65%) held registered betting accounts, a violation of FIFA and UEFA rules. These rules prohibit referees from gambling in any capacity, including simply holding betting accounts.
The scandal has already led to significant consequences. In November 2025, eight people were arrested, including Eyupspor Chairman Murat Ozkaya. The TFF suspended 1,024 players pending disciplinary investigations. Among those suspended was Eren Elmali, a Galatasaray defender and Turkish national team player. Elmali stated that his suspension was related to a bet he made five years ago on a team that was not his own and that he has not bet since.
The TFF has also suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an investigation found they were betting on football matches. TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoglu has described the situation as a “moral crisis in Turkish football". He pledged to implement reforms to restore public confidence in officiating.
In early November 2025, Beşiktaş announced that it had applied to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to participate as a party in the investigation. The 152 suspended referees collectively denied ever betting on matches they officiated, claiming that any online betting occurred years ago during their amateur days. They also accused the federation of scapegoating them in a politically charged operation.
The third and fourth divisions in Turkey have been suspended for two weeks as a result of the scandal. However, matches in the Super League and the second division will proceed as scheduled.
