Turkish authorities arrest eight and suspend 1,024 in betting probe | OneFootball

Turkish authorities have arrested eight people as part of a probe into alleged betting on football matches, per Reuters. 

The Turkish football federation (TFF) has also announced they have suspended 1,024 players pending disciplinary investigations. 

Eyupspor chairman Murat Ozkaya is among those arrested, per the country’s state-owned Anadolu news agency. Eyupsor play in the top-tier Turkish Super Lig. 

The TFF have found hundreds of referees to be involved in widespread sports betting activity. 

149 referees and assistant referees have already been suspended over illegal betting activities. 

In a statement, the TFF confirmed that 1,024 professional players have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK). 

Among those named are 27 players from the Super Lig, including Galatasaray’s Eren Elmali and Metehan Baltaci, Besiktas’ Necip Uysal and Ersin Destanoglu, and Trabzonspor’s Boran Baskan and Salih Malkocoglu. 

To help clubs manage squad deficiencies, the TFF said it has begun negotiations with FIFA to grant a 15-day transfer and registration period in addition to the regular 2025-26 winter transfer window. 

Matches in the second- and third-tier leagues have also been suspended for two weeks, while the TFF board is set to hold an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday.  

Sports betting is legal in Turkey, but it is strictly prohibited for referees under both FIFA and UEFA codes. Even registering a betting account for an official constitutes a breach of integrity.