A storm has hit Turkish football as an unprecedented betting and match-fixing scandal engulfs the sport, drawing in more than 1,000 professional players and officials.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has referred 1,024 players to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK), marking one of the most extensive corruption probes in the nation’s sporting history.
Among those implicated are notable names from Galatasaray and Beşiktaş, including Eren Elmalı, Metehan Baltacı, Necip Uysal, and Ersin Destanoğlu.
Authorities have also issued arrest warrants for 17 referees and Eyüpspor’s president, deepening concerns about the scale of misconduct in Turkish football’s upper echelons.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation, working in close collaboration with FIFA and UEFA to trace betting networks and financial transactions that may have influenced game outcomes.
As part of the sweeping response, the TFF has suspended all 2nd and 3rd League matches for two weeks, while 47 individual cases await further scrutiny before disciplinary hearings.
In a rare moment of solidarity, the nation’s football giants, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Trabzonspor have united in a joint statement urging transparency and reform within the sport.
“The integrity of Turkish football is at stake. It is our collective duty to confront corruption and restore faith in the game,” the clubs declared.
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