An Istanbul illegal-betting probe has referred 17 of 19 football club managers detained in the operation to the courthouse, deepening an inquiry that authorities say centres on wagers placed on clubs’ own matches.
According to Haberler, the identification work was carried out by the Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Investigation Bureau under the coordination of the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office. It fell within an Istanbul Provincial Police Department investigation into a breach of Law No. 6222 on the prevention of violence and disorder in sport, the statute often used in match-fixing cases.
Investigators reviewed betting data from 2020 to 2026 covering referees, club managers and players, then examined financial data from MASAK, Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, before issuing detention orders for 19 suspects working at different clubs. A simultaneous operation centred on Istanbul was launched at 6 a.m., and 17 of the 19 detained suspects were referred to the courthouse that morning.
The allegation is that some managers in professional leagues affiliated with the Turkish Football Federation placed bets on their own clubs’ matches while still in office. The reported wagers included bets favouring the opposing team, along with goal bets and player-specific options.
AP said the latest wave involved simultaneous raids in Istanbul and nine other provinces. It reported that four of the 17 detained officials were from the top-flight Istanbul clubs Galatasaray and Beşiktaş, and that detention orders were also issued for two other suspects.
The case sits inside a wider betting scandal that began with referees. The investigation expanded after the head of the Turkish Football Federation, İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, said 152 referees had been found to have placed bets, and prosecutors later widened the inquiry to players.
BBC Sport earlier reported that a five-year TFF review found 371 of 571 match officials held betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling. It said 42 officials had bet on more than 1,000 matches, and one official had placed 18,227 bets. The federation has also suspended 1,024 players and banned 102 from its top two divisions for betting-related activity.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the government would continue the fight against illegal betting, violence in sport, match-fixing and proceeds of crime with determination. AP also noted that the scandal comes as Turkish soccer has been trying to rebuild after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, and as the country prepares to co-host the men’s 2032 European Championship with Italy.
