President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu revealed that 371 of the 571 referees officiating in professional matches had betting accounts, and 152 of them were actively placing bets.
Hacıosmanoğlu said the announcement reflected the federation’s determination to clean up the game.
“The disciplinary committee will take the necessary action and the offenders will receive the appropriate penalties,” he said.
He stated that they shared their work with FIFA and UEFA.
As the betting scandal continues to rock Turkish football, Hacıosmanoğlu's statement sparked action by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which opened an inquiry into claims that certain referees in April 2025 games had engaged in gambling.
It said its investigation would be merged with the probe by the Antalya Chief Prosecutor's Office into the Central Referees Committee and would review at least the past five years.
Speaking during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the ongoing controversy. “The state cannot sit idly by with its hands tied. Whatever needs to be done must be done — and it has been,” Erdoğan said.
CHAIR OF REFEREES IS PART OF THE SCANDAL
The TFF also named the referees, of whom 22 from the top division have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee (PFDK) on the grounds that they placed bets.
Zorbay Küçük, Muhammed Selim Özbek, Melih Kurt, Yunus Dursun, Seyfettin Alper Yılmaz, Mehmet Ali Özer, and Egemen Artun are among them.
Central Referee Committee Chair Ferhat Gündoğdu was also listed. According to Sözcü daily, Gündoğdu acknowledged having a betting account in his conversation with the TFF board and said he used it only “to follow matches.”
Football Disciplinary Regulations prohibit people governed by the regulations from placing bets directly or indirectly. Those who violate this rule are punished with a ban from competitions or a loss of rights for a period of three months to one year. If a referee bets on his own match, it will be classified as influencing the outcome of the match, which constitutes match-fixing.
The TFF investigation involves not only referees but also 3,700 individuals, including observers, representatives, technical staff, players, and administrators.
