The 2025 Turkish football betting scandal is an ongoing investigation into illegal sports betting by referees, club presidents and footballers in Turkish professional football that began 27 October 2025 in which the Turkish Football Federation announced that an internal audit found evidence suggesting widespread betting activity.
The scandal implicates hundreds of referees for violations of FIFA and UEFA integrity codes, prohibiting referees in any capacity from gambling, including simply holding betting accounts. Turkish Football Federation President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu called the evidence "a milestone for Turkish football," and pledged to implement reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in officiating.[1][2]
Background
In early 2025, Turkish football faced increasing scrutiny. In February, FIFA-listed referee Yaşar Kemal Uğurlu resigned after being linked to gambling in a casino located in Northern Cyprus.[3] In September, several referees filed criminal complaints against the TFF, alleging mobbing, unfair match assignments, and pressure to favor certain clubs, prompting judicial investigations. These events led the TFF to initiate a nationwide audit of referees' financial activities, focusing on potential betting violations.[4]
In April 2025, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation into betting taking some referees into account. As a result of this investigation, and after complaints were made by some referees, the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into the Central Referees Committee (MHK). Then, the case was moved to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office because of lack of jurisdiction. After that, the two investigations were combined and proceeded as one case.[5][6][7]
According to Article 11 of Turkey's Law No. 6222 on Preventing Violence and Disorder in Sports (2011, amended 2017), the person responsible for the manipulation of the sporting event's result will be sentenced to 1 to 3 years of imprisonment and a penalty of up to 20,000 judicial days. The law treats offenses like match-fixing, bribery, and others that interfere with fair play and it aims at the same time referees, players, and the rest of the sports system. Penalties may increase to 5-12 years imprisonment under Article 11/3 if organized crime is involved.[8]
According to the Turkish Football Disciplinary Regulations (FDT), penalties exceeding 45 days imposed on referees may result in the initiation of licence revocation proceedings.
Timeline
As claimed by Türkiye newspaper journalist Tahir Kum the investigation was initially launched following suspicious bets placed on the 2024–25 Second League match between Ankaraspor and Nazillispor in which no shots were taken. Kum stated in the news headline, "This incident began with the match between Ankaraspor and Nazillispor, and the high volume of betting on that match." On 11 September 2025, roughly 1.5 years after the match, the TFF imposed bans on two club presidents and 18 footballers after conducting an investigation.[9][10][11]
October 2025
The audit performed by the Turkish Football Federation, which was made public on October 27, 2025, reported widespread betting activity among referees, raising concerns about compliance with integrity rules. This audit included all 571 professional referees currently officiating in Turkey from every level of the sport. From this audit, it was revealed that 371, or 65%, of the active professional referees held registered betting accounts, which is a direct violation of FIFA and UEFA rules stating that referees are prohibited from any gambling, and simply having a betting account is a violation.[1]
Of these, 152 referees were found to have actively placed bets on football matches. This included both domestic competitions, like the Süper Lig and lower-tier Turkish leagues, and international fixtures. Among the implicated officials, seven were elite main referees from the Süper Lig, 15 were elite assistant referees, 36 were regional main referees, and 94 were regional assistant referees.[2][4]
Hacıosmanoğlu described the findings as severe and indicative of long-standing governance issues. In extreme cases, ten referees placed over 10,000 bets each, with one referee making 18,227 bets. Furthermore, 42 referees were found to have placed more than 1,000 wagers specifically on football matches.[12]
Hacıosmanoğlu described the issue as a "deep-rooted problem" in Turkish football. He stressed a commitment to "clean up what is dirty" through strict measures. Under the TFF Disciplinary Code Article 57, gambling violations lead to penalties of three months to one-year bans. However, FIFA and UEFA are expected to impose harsher punishments due to the scandal's extent and its threat to the sport's integrity. Further on, Hacıosmanoğlu announced a plans for a referee training program emphasizing ethical compliance, enhanced oversight mechanisms, such as real-time monitoring of referee financial activities and collaboration with law enforcement to investigate potential match-fixing linked to betting patterns.
Zorbay Küçük, one of the referees referred to the PFDK as part of the investigation
Approximately 5 hours later Hacıosmanoğlu's press conference, journalist Murat Ağırel claimed on social media that MHK President Ferhat Gündoğdu had an active betting account.[13] Further more, Kum claimed that a club president placed 3,057 bets and won 476 times, a masseur placed 2,399 bets and won 329 times, a footballer placed 1,950 bets and won 340 times, while another footballer and coaching staff members were found to have placed bets 15,987 times and won 3,138 times.[9]
A day later, on 28 October, TFF and took disciplinary action against the 152 referees, referring them to the Professional Football Discipline Board (PFDK). 7 top flight main referees along the 152 were Zorbay Küçük, Egemen Artun, Mehmet Ali Özer, Melih Kurt, Muhammed Selim Özbek, Seyfettin Alper Yılmaz and Yunus Dursun.[14]
Among the 7, Yunus Dursun and Egemen Artun were each given a 10-month ban, while Muhammed Selim Özbek, Mehmet Ali Özer and Seyfettin Alper Yılmaz were each given an 8-month ban. It was also decided to continue the investigation into the allegations of betting activities involving top-tier referees Zorbay Küçsup about="#mwt53" class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-:4_15-0" data-mw="{"name":"ref","attrs":{"name":":4"},"body":{"id":"mw-reference-text-cite_note-:4-15"}}"> [15] The remaining 144 referees officiating in lower divisions were all punished with 8 to 12 month bans; due to these penalties exceeding 45 days, the refereeing rights of the 144 referees and 5 Süper Lig elite level referees were terminated.[15][16]
Küçük's lawyer argued that two fake betting accounts had been opened in the referee's name and that his identity details had been stolen by a foreign individual. Küçük stated that he had never been a member of a betting site or placed any bets, either before or during his refereeing career.[17][18]
On 31 October, during a political rally in Esenyurt, Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Özgür Özel claimed that the red card shown to Göztepe player in a Süper Lig match against an undisclosed team was "unfairly issued" and correlated with a substantial bet. Özel asserted that 5.5 million Turkish Lira was wagered on the red card from Northern Cyprus on the same day. Subsequently, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an ex officio investigation on 31 October 2025 into the claims of illegal betting and potential match manipulation related to the match.[19]
November 2025
On 1 November, Beşiktaş announced that the club has applied to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to participate as a party in the investigation.[20]
On 6 November, the 152 suspended referees issued a collective statement vehemently denying that they ever placed bets on matches they officiated. They admitted some had participated in online betting years ago, during their amateur days, also accusing the federation of turning them into scapegoats in a politically charged operation.[21]
On 7 November, a detention order was issued for a total of 21 individuals, 17 referees and the president of Süper Lig side Eyüpspor Murat Özkaya, former Kasımpaşa owner and fugitive Turgay Ciner and former club president Fatih Saraç whose terms ended on 30 September 2025, following a trustee appointment by the Turkish government.[22] Saraç was released after his statement was taken.[23]
On 10 November, eight suspects, including Eyüpspor Club President Özkaya and six referees, were arrested, while 11 suspects were released under judicial supervision.[24]
On the same day, TFF announced that 1,024 footballers were referred to the PFDK on the grounds of betting, among the 1,024, 27 were Super League players; while the other players referred were 77 from the First League, 282 from the Second League, 629 from the Third League, and 9 from amateur leagues.[25][26]
Due to the scale of the situation, the TFF announced that it had decided to postpone the fixtures for the Second and Third Leagues by two weeks to allow clubs to fill their squad gaps, while matches in the Süper Lig and First League would continue as previously announced.[25][26]
Due to his involvement, Elmalı was removed from Türkiye's squad and Trabzonspor player Mustafa Eskihellaç was included in the squad as his replacement. In addition to Elmalı's removal from the senior squad, İzzet Çelik was dropped from the under-21 team and Ege Albayrak from the under-19 squad.[27][28]
Beşiktaş players Necip Uysal and goalkeeper Ersin Destanoğlu, denied the betting allegations and filed a criminal complaint on 11 November on the grounds that their identity information had been used. Destanoğlu stated, "Our federation shared our names without contacting us first, attempting to tarnish our reputations." Uysal also claimed that a betting account had been opened using his Turkish ID number.
Elmalı, admitted to betting on a game about five years ago that did not involve his own team.[29]
On the programme "Kale Arkası" broadcast on TV100, journalist Haluk Yürekli claimed that Baltacı had placed 1,600 bets within the period when he was on loan at Eyüpspor. Baltacı, admitted to betting 1,600 times on games that did not involve his own team.[30]
On 13 November, PFDK imposed bans ranging from 45 days to 12 months on 102 footballers from the Süper Lig and the First League. Abdulsamet Burak from Kayserispor and Alassane Ndao from Konyaspor received the longest possible penalties of 12 months each, while Metehan Baltacı from Galatasaray and Yusuf Özdemir from Alanyaspor received 9-month bans; İzzet Çelik from Alanyaspor, Enes Keskin, Bedirhan Özyurt and Furkan Orak from Rizespor, Kerem Yusuf Sirkeci from Fatih Karagümrük, Berkan Aslan from Kayserispor and Boran Başkan from Trabzonspor received three-month bans, while the other 12 Süper Lig players received 45-day bans.[31][32]
On 16 November, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the investigation could be expanded, and stated that referees' foreign contacts were being investigated and that financial analyses, technical monitoring and digital investigations were being carried out to prevent the laundering of criminal proceeds.[33]
On 17 November, TFF announced that FIFA had rejected its request for an additional transfer window due to players receiving penalties, citing international transfer rules.[34]
On 18 November, PFDK imposed bans ranging from 45 days to 12 months on 282 footballers playing in the Second League.[35]
A day later, on 19 November, PFDK imposed bans ranging from 45 days to 12 months on 638 footballers playing in the Third League and amateur leagues.[36]
December 2025
On 5 December, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 46 suspects related to the ongoing Turkish football betting scandal, adding to the 35 individuals already detained, who include 27 footballers such as Galatasaray’s Metehan Baltacı, Fenerbahçe’s team captain Mert Hakan Yandaş and Konyaspor's Alassane Ndao, along with multiple club chairs and former executives, including Ankaraspor's chair Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu, Nazillispor's chair Şahin Kaya and Adana Demirspor’s former chair Murat Sancak. Former referee and commentator Ahmet Çakar and his wife and current referee Zorbay Küçük were also taken into custody as "suspicious financial transactions" were found in their bank accounts.[37] It was also determined that six individuals, including one footballer, had agreed to influence the outcome of the Ümraniyespor-Giresunspor match played on 24 December 2023.[38] Çakar was later released due to his health condition, specifically a heart spasm he experienced while in detention, which required an angiogram procedure.[39]
In a statement, prosecutors revealed that evidence showed Baltacı had placed bets on his own team's games, an action he had previously denied. They further noted that Yandaş's betting was allegedly conducted via a third party.[37][40]
On 8 December, 29 individuals; Ahmet Abdullah Çakmak, Eren Karadağ, Uğur Adem Gezer, Emrah Çelik, Yunus Emre Tekoğul, Metehan Baltacı, İzzet Furkan Malak, Bartu Kaya, Arda Türken, Muhammed Furkan Özhan, Yusuf Özdemir, Orkun Özdemir, Kadir Kaan Yurdakul, Faruk Can Genç, Alassane Ndao, Ensar Bilir, Oktay Aydın, Yücel Gürol, Mert Hakan Yandaş, Ersen Dikmen, Kerem Yusuf Sirkeci, Emircan Çiçek, Ahmet Okatan, Gürhan Sünmez, Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu, Volkan Erten, Şahin Kaya, and Ümit Kaya were referred to the court with a request for their arrest on charges of influencing the match result, while Murat Sancak was referred with a request for arrest on the charge of money laundering of criminal proceeds.[41] 10 invidiuals; Zorbay Küçük, Abdulsamet Burak, Cengiz Demir, Erhan Çelenk, İsmail Kalburcu, Salih Malkoçoğlu, Samet Karabatak, Tolga Kalender, Uğur Kaan Yıldız, and Gamze Neli Kaya were referred to the The Peace Courts with a request for them to be placed under judicial supervision.[42][43] Among the 29, 20 individuals including Yandaş, Ndao, Sancak and Baltacı were arrested and sent to jail.
According to the MASAK report, Mert Hakan Yandaş frequently placed bets focusing particularly on player-specific bets such as outcomes in Fenerbahçe matches, İsmail Yüksek committing a minimum of 3 fouls, and Yüksek receiving a card.[44] Meanwhile, Metehan Baltacı, during his time at Eyüpspor and Galatasaray, placed 36 bets ranging from 5 TL to 1,800 TL. It was established that Baltacı did not feature in the 18 man squad for the matches he bet upon; and whilst at Galatasaray, his betting slips were placed on results such as "his own team to win" and "more than 2.5 goals to be scored," with no evidence found of him placing any wagers on the opposing team.[45]
Following Yandaş's detention, digital evidence was recovered on his mobile phone showing images of him playing the virtual slot game "Sweet Bonanza" on an illegal betting site; to which Yandaş claimed the images were merely shared with friends for entertainment.[46]
Yandaş playing the virtual slot game "Sweet Bonanza" on an illegal betting site
On the same day, TFF announced that 197 more footballers were referred to the PFDK on the grounds of betting.[47]
Responses
The revelations prompted strong reactions from major clubs, many of whom had previously voiced suspicions about match officiating:
Fenerbahçe welcomed the news, claiming it confirmed the club's long-standing arguments about a "toxic system" in Turkish football. The club's president, Sadettin Saran, called the findings "shocking and grave" and demanded full disclosure of the names of all implicated referees, the specific matches they officiated, and the impact on the league.
Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek supported the TFF's decision, acknowledging the findings were evidence of a deep "crisis of trust and justice." The club stressed the severity of the blow to sports ethics.
Beşiktaş praised the investigation as a "historic step toward clean football" and likewise urged the TFF to publicly release the names of the involved referees so the clubs could retroactively pursue their rights.[48]
Trabzonspor stated, "With the announcement made by the President of the Turkish Football Federation, İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, the extent of the structural decay that we have been voicing for a long time in the refereeing community has become clear."[49]
Former Turkey national team manager Şenol Güneş stated, "If betting and gambling are involved in football, there is no greater corruption than this.", supporting the need for the aggressive "clean up" being undertaken by the authorities.[50]
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