Turkish authorities have arrested eight individuals, including the chairman of a top-flight football club, as part of a widening investigation into illegal betting on football matches.
In response, the Turkish Football Federation has suspended 1,024 players across various leagues pending disciplinary action.
The arrests, confirmed on Monday, include Eyupspor Chairman Murat Ozkaya and seven others, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency via Reuters.
A court ordered their detention following ongoing probes into match betting irregularities.
This latest development follows the TFF’s earlier suspension of 149 referees and assistant referees earlier this month after uncovering evidence that several officials in Turkey’s professional leagues had engaged in betting on football games.
In a statement, the TFF disclosed that 1,024 players from different divisions had been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Council, with 27 of them coming from the top-tier Super Lig, including players from reigning champions Galatasaray and city rivals Besiktas.
“Due to the precautionary transfer of 1,024 football players to the PFDK, negotiations have been initiated urgently with FIFA to grant a 15-day transfer and registration period in addition to the 2025–2026 winter transfer period, only at the national level, in order for clubs to complete their squad deficiencies,” the TFF said.
The federation also announced that matches in the second and third divisions would be halted for two weeks.
Local media further reported that the TFF board would convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the situation as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.”
An internal investigation by the federation revealed staggering figures: 371 of 571 active referees in the country’s professional leagues had betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling.
One referee reportedly placed 18,227 bets, while 42 others wagered on over 1,000 football matches each. A few were found to have placed a single bet.
