A total of 46 people in Turkey have been ordered to be detained, some including soccer players, club presidents, and others, with this being the latest in a gambling investigation.
It was in November when Turkish soccer plunged into disarray as 149 referees and assistants were suspended due to alleged betting scandal concerns, with this then widening to include 1,024 active players who were suspended. Some people took to their social media platforms to deny any potential wrongdoings.
This led to second and third-tier leagues being suspended for two weeks, with Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akin Gurlek being cited by NTV and other media as saying: “We may carry out another operation in the coming days. We want to clean our football, absolutely.
“Whoever was involved in cheating, we are chasing them. There will be club chairmen and club executives in the probes…There may be ties between chairmen and referees, coaches and commentators. We are investigating everything.”
Police in Turkey issue latest update in soccer gambling probe
— İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı (@istanbulCBS) December 5, 2025
In the latest update, on December 5, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office posted a press release online detailing its latest move. Within the announcement, it explains how at 07:15 on Friday, “a total of 46 suspects were apprehended and detained in accordance with the simultaneous arrest, detention, search and seizure order issued to the Istanbul Police Department…” Although, 35 alleged suspects were identified as being abroad, with efforts ongoing to apprehend them.
While this recent betting scandal is one of the deepest crises in its soccer history, the President Haciosmanoglu (of the Turkish Football Federation) has said: “We are aware that this is a long and difficult path, however, every evening has its morning. The sun will surely rise after the darkness.
“Our duty is to elevate Turkish football to its rightful place and to purge it of all its filth.” He continued, “Football is more than sport, it is unity, pride, and peace.”
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