Turkish referee committee head appears in court as betting probe suspends 448 club officials

Court appearances and judicial charges

Seven figures from Turkish football administration, including Central Referees Committee (MHK) president Ferhat Gundogdu and his vice-president, appeared before a judge at Istanbul's Caglayan courthouse on Friday following their detention across four provinces on Tuesday. The Illegal Betting and Sports Crime Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office brought charges including official document forgery, breach of trust, and the illegal acquisition of personal data. Police also detained Super Lig referee Yasin Kol and an assistant referee as part of the operation. Financial crimes police carried out searches at the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) headquarters in Riva on the Asian side of Istanbul, focusing on the VAR room. Kol denied placing wagers when questioned after being detained following a friendly match.

I haven't placed any bets. I just sent money to a few people I care about who asked me to lend them money.

Scope of referee manipulation and previous bans

The court proceedings follow government inquiries into administrative interference within Turkish officiating structures. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek addressed the allegations, confirming that prosecutors are reviewing the integrity of referee evaluations, match assignments, classification lists, and rule examinations. The TFF stated that it is cooperating with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, while issuing a formal denial on Wednesday regarding allegations that digital files were deleted from federation computers prior to police raids.

We will steadfastly continue the fight for clean football so... those responsible are held accountable.

The current actions follow earlier disclosures regarding betting accounts among match officials. A federation probe examining 571 professional referees determined that 371 held sports betting accounts, while 152 were actively placing wagers. In an earlier round of sanctions, the TFF disciplinary council suspended 149 referees for periods ranging from eight to twelve months for violating strict regulations against sports gambling.

Club executives and player suspensions

The scope of the investigation spans club leadership across Turkish football, including the Super Lig. The TFF provisionally suspended 448 club directors and former executives for placing bets during the past five years. Over 1,000 players have also received suspensions under various categories. Among those under investigation are Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan and Besiktas vice-president Hakan Daltaban. Dogan admitted holding an account while seeking to downplay the breach.

Nobody thought this could cause problems. If we made a mistake, we apologize, but we didn't do anything wrong.

Governance crisis and upcoming tournaments

Investigators are reviewing evidence including a referee list shared between Gundogdu and TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu. Sports journalist Ayhan Sensoy stated that federation officials are unlikely to remain in office until the scheduled presidential elections in June 2027, projecting an announcement for an extraordinary general assembly. The TFF leadership traveled to Liege on Friday for a UEFA Nations League fixture between Turkey and Belgium, with official statements expected following their return on Saturday. The ongoing judicial measures also come as Turkey prepares to co-host the Euro 2032 tournament alongside Italy.