Prosecutors in Istanbul announced on Friday the arrest of 30 additional people linked to Turkish football, including 14 players and former Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur, as part of a widening investigation into alleged match-fixing, the French daily L’Equipe reported.
The investigation by the Istanbul prosecutor’s office, which has shaken Turkish football for several months, had already led in early November to the imprisonment of six referees and the president of Eyupspor, a club competing in Turkey’s top division.
According to a statement released on Friday, arrest warrants were issued for 29 suspects, including 14 footballers, with 24 of them taken into custody. Among those detained are Erden Timur, who served as vice-president of Galatasaray between 2022 and 2024, Eyupspor vice-president Fatih Kulaksiz, and an official from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
Prosecutors said six of the suspects are accused of influencing the outcome of the Kasimpașa–Samsunspor match played on October 26, 2024. The 14 players are alleged to have placed bets designed to affect match results, including wagering on the victory of the opposing team during matches involving their own clubs.
The coordinated operations were carried out simultaneously across 11 provinces and are now focused in Istanbul. The list of suspects includes players, club officials, representatives of the Turkish Football Federation, business figures, and a former police officer.
According to the prosecutor’s office, examinations of bank accounts revealed suspicious transactions, including cash inflows and outflows believed to be linked to gambling, suspected attempts to conceal the origin of funds, and other unusual financial movements.
This marks the third wave of operations tied to the sports betting investigation. The TFF, which has said it is determined to “clean up” Turkish football, suspended nearly 150 referees last month after they were found to have placed bets on matches. All have since been dismissed. In addition, 25 players from the top division and nearly 1,000 players from the second, third, and fourth tiers have been suspended for similar violations.
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