Turkish Police Raid Homes in a Betting Scandal, Detaining Fenerbahce Captain
Players are detained by authorities due to accusations of illegal betting and match-fixing that are rocking Turkish football.
The residence of Fenerbahce captain Mert Hakan Yandas was raided by Turkish police as part of an expanding probe into match-fixing and illegal betting that has engulfed the nation’s football landscape.
On Friday morning, Istanbul prosecutors ordered the arrest of 46 people, including 29 football players. Yandas, 31, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of making illicit bets through a third party.
Metehan Baltaci, a 23-year-old Galatasaray defender who was recently given a nine-month suspension by the Turkish FA for wagering on games involving his own team, is one of those detained.
Regulations designed to preserve athletic integrity forbid football players from wagering on games. 27 of the players detained, according to officials, are accused of placing wagers on matches involving their own teams.
35 people have been taken into custody, according to the prosecutor’s office, with five of the remaining 11 reportedly abroad.
In a statement listing all 46 defendants, the prosecutor’s office stated, “Efforts to apprehend the other suspects are ongoing.” “Investigations will proceed with diligence and resolve.”
These include Nazilli Belediyespor president Sahin Kaya and two coaches, as well as Ankaraspor owner Ahmet Okatan and club president Mehmet Emin Katipoglu, who are accused of manipulating a match between both teams in April 2024.
It is alleged that six people, including one player, tried to rig the Umraniyespor vs. Giresunspor match in December 2023.
Accused of suspected financial activities include top tier referee Zorbay Küçük, former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak, former referee and TV pundit Ahmet Çakar, and his wife.
Over 1,000 players were suspended by the Turkish FA in November for alleged betting violations. Following FA president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu’s October accusation that hundreds of referees had connections to betting accounts, the investigation grew more intense.
After 14 games, Galatasaray leads the Turkish Super Lig by one point over rivals Fenerbahce. With Fenerbahce ranked 20th in the Europa League and Galatasaray ranked 14th in the Uefa Champions League, the two titans are also participating in Europe.
