Updated by Eric Kikomeko at 1523 EAT on Friday 5 December 2025

Prosecutors in Türkiye have ordered the detention of 46 people, including 29 footballers from top-tier clubs, as well as club presidents, commentators and other figures, as part of a widening investigation into insider betting that has shaken the country’s professional leagues.

Of the detained players, 27 are suspected of placing bets on matches involving their own teams, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Friday.

One of those detained was Metehan Baltaci, a player for reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray, who earlier this month was suspended for nine months over the betting scandal.

The investigation has sent shockwaves through Turkish football. On November 10, six referees were placed in pre-trial detention, along with the president of Eyupspor, a club in the Super Lig.

Prosecutors did not name the other 26 players suspected of betting on their own matches but said Mert Hakan Yandas of Fenerbahce had placed bets through another person’s account.

The Turkish news channel A Haber reported that former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak was also included in the detention list, along with several other players.

None of the clubs mentioned could immediately be reached for comment.

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said police have so far detained 35 of the 46 people named in the arrest order, with five reportedly abroad, according to the statement.

Two club presidents were among those targeted, accused of “attempting to influence the outcome” of a match between their third-division teams during the 2023–2024 season.

The match drew investigators’ attention after neither team made a single attempt on goal, Turkish media reported, with several newspapers saying this marked the starting point of the investigation, Al Jazeera reported.

So far, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended more than 1,000 players, including 25 from the Super Lig, with sanctions ranging from 45 days to 12 months.

Only one foreign player, Alassane Ndao, a Senegalese winger for Konyaspor, was suspended for 12 months. The vast majority of suspensions — over 900 — affect players from the third and fourth divisions.

In October, the TFF also suspended nearly 150 referees for betting on matches; all have since been dismissed.

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Follow us on all social media, type “HICGI News Agency” .