Turkey orders arrest of 17 referees, club president in betting probe

7/11/2025 17:05

Turkish prosecutors said on Friday they had ordered the detention of 21 people, including 17 referees and the chairman of an unnamed Super Lig club as part of an investigation into alleged betting on soccer matches.



So far 18 of the 21 suspects have been detained, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.



The move comes a week after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an investigation found the officials working in the country's professional leagues were betting on football matches.



The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office said the detention of the 17 referees was on the grounds of abuse of duty and manipulating match results. A Super Lig club president, a former club owner and a former association president were also ordered detained over alleged match-fixing, it said.



One more person faced arrest for spreading misleading information on social media as part of the operation across 12 cities in Turkey, the statement said.