The Turkish judiciary has launched one of the biggest match-fixing crackdowns in the country’s history, ordering the detention of 46 people, including 29 footballers, club presidents and referees, over alleged manipulation of results and illegal betting.
The Turkish judiciary has ordered the detention of 46 people, including 29 professional footballers, in what is quickly turning into one of the most serious match fixing and betting scandals in the history of Turkish football.
The decision follows a large scale investigation led by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, which has been gathering evidence for months on suspected attempts to manipulate the outcome of domestic matches and profit from illegal betting schemes.
According to the authorities, the probe covers several levels of the Turkish football pyramid and involves players, referees, club officials and betting intermediaries. Of the 29 players who now face detention, 27 are accused of taking part in schemes that allegedly involved fixing results against their own team. In practical terms, this means that investigators believe some players intentionally underperformed, made crucial errors or influenced specific moments in matches in order to ensure a particular result, usually linked to suspicious betting patterns detected around those games.
So far, only one name among the accused players has been officially confirmed in this phase of the investigation. That is Metehan Baltaci, a defender from Galatasaray, one of the biggest and most successful clubs in Turkey. The fact that a player from such a high profile team is explicitly mentioned underlines how serious the situation is perceived to be. Galatasaray are not just any club in Turkey, they are a symbol of success, with a massive fanbase and a strong European profile, which makes the idea of one of their players being involved in match manipulation particularly damaging to the image of the league.
Another prominent figure under suspicion is Mert Yandas of Fenerbahce, one of Galatasaray’s historic rivals. Yandas is suspected of having placed bets on several matches, although not directly under his own name. According to the investigation, he allegedly used a third party to place these bets, a common tactic in illegal betting networks designed to hide the real identity of those who are actually risking money on certain outcomes. While betting by players on their own competition is already against most football regulations, doing so in connection with manipulated or suspicious results makes the accusations even more serious.
The scandal does not stop with players. The Turkish judiciary has also ordered the detention of two club presidents who are suspected of trying to influence the result of matches in the third division during the 2023/24 season. Lower division games are often seen as easier targets for manipulation, because they receive less media attention, less detailed statistical coverage and usually operate with smaller budgets and weaker control mechanisms. That combination can make it easier for outside actors or insiders with financial problems to become involved in schemes that attempt to fix results for betting purposes.
The investigation led by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has already had concrete consequences even before this latest wave of detentions. Six referees have been imprisoned and the president of Eyupspor, a club currently playing in the top tier, has also been jailed. The imprisonment of a sitting club president sent a very clear message that no one is untouchable in this process and that the authorities are willing to go after influential figures, not only fringe players or minor officials.
In parallel with the judicial investigation, the Turkish Football Federation has taken its own disciplinary measures. The federation has repeatedly stated that it wants to clean up Turkish football and restore trust among fans, sponsors and international partners. As part of that effort, it has suspended around 150 referees who are considered guilty of involvement in match manipulation or illegal betting activity. On top of that, 25 players from the first division and around one thousand players from lower divisions have been suspended or are facing disciplinary procedures, a number that shows how deep and wide the crisis really is.
These suspensions have had a significant impact on several clubs, particularly in the lower leagues, where losing multiple players or match officials at once can disrupt the normal running of the competition. Some teams have had to adapt quickly, promote youth players or sign replacements at short notice, while at the same time dealing with the reputational damage associated with having their name mentioned in connection with the scandal.
From a legal perspective, those who are found guilty could face serious punishment. Turkish law treats the manipulation of sports results as a criminal offense, not just a disciplinary breach. Prison sentences, heavy fines and long term bans from any football related activity are all possible outcomes if the courts confirm the accusations. For players, referees and club officials, this could mean the end of their professional careers.
For Turkish football as a whole, the case is a major test. The involvement of figures from big clubs like Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, the arrest of referees and a top flight club president, and the sheer number of people under suspicion raise tough questions about how long these practices may have been happening and how many matches might have been directly or indirectly affected. Rebuilding credibility will require transparency, consistent punishment for those involved and clear reforms to monitoring, education and prevention so that similar scandals are less likely to occur in the future.
