Turkey orders top-tier players, club chairmen detained in gambling probe
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FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Turkish Football Federation (TFF) Press Conference - Istanbul, Turkey - November 24, 2025 General view outside the headquarters REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo
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ANKARA, Dec 5 - Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of 46 people, including footballers from top-tier clubs, club presidents, commentators and others, as part of a widening investigation into insider betting in Turkey's professional leagues.
Last month, Turkey's football federation suspended 149 referees and assistants after an investigation found that officials in the professional leagues were betting on games.
The net then widened with the arrest of eight people, including the chairman of a top-tier club, and the suspension of 1,024 players from all leagues, on whom the federation (TFF) imposed bans. Prosecutors had warned the investigations would widen further.
On Friday, the Istanbul prosecutor said 35 people had been detained that morning, while five suspects were abroad.
Among those flagged were 27 players who allegedly bet on their own team's games, including a player each from Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.
Neither of the clubs could immediately be reached for comment.
Prosecutors also cited suspected match-fixing attempts in two third-tier games in 2023 and 2024. REUTERS
