Turkish justice issued arrest warrants this Friday (5) against 46 individuals. Among them are 29 soccer players. The arrests, according to an announcement from the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, are part of an investigation into betting related to football matches.
The prosecution specifies that 27 of the athletes are suspected of having bet on their own teams’ games. One of those arrested is Metehan Baltaci, an athlete for Galatasaray, the current three-time national champion club.
Furthermore, Mert Hakan Yandas of Fenerbahçe is also implicated in the investigation. He is suspected of placing bets on various matches using a third party as an intermediary.
Suspicions surrounding leaders and the scope of the arrests.
The court orders also targeted the presidents of two clubs. Authorities are investigating them for allegedly attempting to influence the outcome of a third-division match in the 2023-2024 season. However, the current tally indicates that 35 of the 46 people sought are already in custody.
This process by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office had already been causing turmoil in Turkish football since the beginning of November. At that time, the investigation resulted in the detention of six referees and the president of Eyüpspor, a first division team.
Disciplinary measures taken by the Turkish Football Federation
In turn, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has adopted a series of disciplinary sanctions. The organization states that it wants to “clean up” the country’s football. Consequently, it has suspended nearly 150 referees found guilty of betting on matches.
The federation also punished athletes from various divisions. In total, 25 players from the first division and approximately one thousand from the second, third, and fourth divisions received suspensions. These sanctions can reach up to 12 months of absence from activities.
