Turkish football betting scandal: Galatasaray and Fenerbahce players arrested

The captain of Fenerbahce’s home has been raided by Turkish police in their ongoing investigation into illegal betting and match fixing.

Prosecutors in Istanbul ordered the arrest of 46 people, 29 of them players, on Friday morning as the scandal dominating the country’s football landscape continues.

Midfielder Mert Hakan Yandas, 31, is accused by prosecutors of making illegal bets on matches through a third party, and reports in Turkey say he has been detained by police.

Also among those arrested is Metehan Baltaci, a 23-year-old Galatasaray centre-back, who is accused of betting on matches involving his own team and was recently suspended for nine months by the Turkish FA.

Footballers are banned from betting on matches, involving their own team or not, over match fixing and sporting integrity concerns.

Twenty-seven of the 29 players arrested are alleged to have bet on matches their own teams played in.

The prosecutor’s office said 35 of the 46 people due for arrest had already been detained. Of the remaining 11, five are believed to be abroad.

“Efforts to apprehend the other suspects are ongoing,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement naming all 46 of the accused. “Investigations will continue with meticulousness and determination.”

Those on the list also include Ankaraspor owner Ahmet Okatan and president Mehmet Emin Katipoglu, Nazilli Belediyespor president Sahin Kaya, and two coaches, all in relation to allegations they fixed the outcome of a match between the two sides in April 2024.

Six people, including one player, are accused of attempting to fix the outcome of the game between Umraniyespor and Giresunspor in December 2023.

Also accused of wrongdoing are Adana Demirspor’s former president Murat Sancak, former referee and current commentator Ahmet Çakar and his wife, and top-flight referee Zorbay Küçük, who is accused of making suspicious financial transactions via a bank account.

In November, the Turkish FA suspended more than 1,000 players from competition over alleged betting infractions, after its president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu first accused hundreds of referees of being linked to betting accounts in October.

Galatasaray are currently top of the Turkish Super Lig, one point ahead of arch rivals Fenerbahce, after 14 matches.

Galatasaray are 14th in the Uefa Champions League rankings, while Fenerbahce are 20th in the Europa League.