Release date
Istanbul prosecutors on Friday issued arrest warrants for dozens of soccer players and officials in connection with the gambling scandal that has rocked Turkey.
Among those detained in the early morning police raid were players from Turkey’s top clubs, including Fenerbahce’s Jandas and domestic champions Galatasaray’s Metehan Bartak.
The Turkish Football Federation announced in October that it was investigating more than 150 professional league referees for allegedly gambling on soccer matches.
The investigation quickly expanded to include players, administrators, television commentators, and other sports officials.
More than 100 professional players were given temporary suspensions last month, including 25 from the top flight Super Lig.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office issued warrants for 46 suspects on Friday.
The office announced on Friday that 35 people have already been detained, including the chairman of Ankaraspor, the vice-chairman of Antalyaspor, and the former chairman of Adana Demirspor.
According to the DHA news agency, former referee and commentator Ahmet Çakal and current referee Zorbai Kücuk were also arrested.
financial fraud
Prosecutors said in a statement that they found that Baltac, who previously played for the youth national team, was betting on his own team’s matches. Yandasz allegedly made the bet through another person.
Seven people, including Chakal and Kyucuk, were arrested after “suspicious financial transactions” were discovered in their bank accounts.
The statement added that all suspects were detained under a law aimed at preventing sports injuries.
This law criminalizes the manipulation of sports competitions. The sentence carries a sentence of one to three years in prison, but the sentence could be increased if the crime is related to the gambling market, involves related parties, or affects professional leagues.
Under world and European soccer rules, players, referees and club officials are prohibited from betting on matches at any level.
The Turkish Football Federation has vowed to clean up the sport, with president Ibrahim Hacmanoglu saying it will protect it from “scandals, decline and corrupt relationships”.
Additional sources of information • AP
