Turkey Probes 19 Football Executives Over Illegal Betting and Match-Fixing

Turkish authorities have issued detention orders for 19 people linked to professional football clubs as part of an investigation into alleged illegal betting and betting-related match-fixing. Seventeen suspects were detained during coordinated raids across 10 provinces, while two others were found to be outside the country.

The latest operation has widened a continuing investigation into betting activity in Turkish football. Prosecutors allege that the suspects placed wagers connected to matches involving their own clubs while serving in management positions.

The raids were carried out by the Financial Crimes Unit of the Istanbul Police Department under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Betting records from 2020 to 2026 and financial analyses supplied by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, known as MASAK, form part of the case.

Akın Gürlek Details the Illegal Betting and Match-Fixing Investigation

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the investigation was being conducted by the Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Investigation Bureau within the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Gürlek, the case covers suspected violations of Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports, betting-related match-fixing allegations, illegal betting offences and proceeds potentially linked to criminal activity.

Investigators assessed betting platform records covering the six-year period from 2020 to 2026 alongside MASAK financial analyses. Authorities said the review produced significant findings concerning the betting activity of people who held management positions at clubs competing in professional leagues governed by the Turkish Football Federation.

Gürlek said the judicial process was intended to protect confidence in professional football and establish whether any suspicious structures, relationships or activities had affected the integrity of the sport.

Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın @RTerdogan‘ın liderliğinde, İçişleri Bakanlığımızla güçlü bir koordinasyon içerisinde; yasa dışı bahis, sporda şiddet, bahis şikesi ve suçtan elde edilen gelirlerle mücadelemizi kararlılıkla sürdürüyoruz. Futbolun adalet, emek ve alın teriyle anılması;…

— Akın Gürlek (@abakingurlek) July 17, 2026

Galatasaray and Beşiktaş Executives Included in the List

The list released by prosecutors includes three people linked to Beşiktaş and one linked to Galatasaray. The highest numbers of betting slips were attributed to Tolga Kırgız and Kerem Gürel, both of whom were associated with Beşiktaş during the periods examined.

Prosecutors allege that the 19 suspects placed bets involving their own clubs while serving in management roles. The wagers reportedly covered results favouring opposing teams, goal-based markets and player-specific betting options.

The individuals named in the investigation and the number of betting slips attributed to them are:

• Ali Sancak – Adana Demirspor: 7 betting slips
• Savaş Tatil – Adanaspor: 124 betting slips
• Hasan Turan Güven – Altay: 78 betting slips
• Barış Orhunbilge – Altınordu: 14 betting slips
• Kemal Aydın – Balıkesirspor: 12 betting slips
• Ünsal Yamaner – Bandırmaspor: 144 betting slips
• Tolga Kırgız – Beşiktaş: 1,488 betting slips
• Kerem Gürel – Beşiktaş: 996 betting slips
• Ahmet Akçelik – Beşiktaş: 53 betting slips
• Hüseyin Gözütok – Bodrumspor: 27 betting slips
• Murat Şabablı – Boluspor: 13 betting slips
• Ali Şen – Boluspor: 61 betting slips
• Halil İbrahim Yavaş – Boluspor: 28 betting slips
• Ali Gürsoy – Boluspor: 22 betting slips
• Avni Akdemir – Erzurumspor FK: 218 betting slips
• Maruf Güneş – Galatasaray: 48 betting slips
• Özgür Durşen – Gençlerbirliği: 50 betting slips
• Sezgin Özkan – Gençlerbirliği: 16 betting slips
• Ömer Çetin – Karaman FK: 18 betting slips

The figures released by prosecutors amount to 3,417 betting slips in total. A single slip can contain multiple matches or selections, meaning the total does not represent 3,417 separate fixtures. The disclosed figures also do not show how much money was wagered or whether the bets generated winnings.

Licensed Betting Data and MASAK Records Examined

Authorities obtained data from licensed betting platforms operating in Turkey, including Misli, Nesine, Oley, Tuttur, İddaa, Bilyoner and Birebin. The records covered betting activity associated with football executives, referees and professional players between 2020 and 2026.

Investigators focused on three main categories:

• Match-result bets favouring an opponent of the executive’s club
• Goal markets, including over-under and total-goal bets
• Player-specific markets connected to individual performances or match events

The betting data was assessed alongside financial information supplied by MASAK. Although the case is being investigated under illegal betting and betting-related match-fixing allegations, the records disclosed in the latest operation were obtained from betting companies licensed to operate in Turkey.

The central issue is therefore not limited to whether the suspects used unlicensed gambling websites. Prosecutors are examining whether people in positions of responsibility placed bets involving their own clubs and whether the betting patterns were connected to wider sporting or criminal misconduct.

Investigation Remains Ongoing

The coordinated raids began on the morning of July 17, 2026. Seventeen of the 19 suspects were detained, while authorities said the remaining two were abroad.

Police procedures are continuing, and several key details have not yet been disclosed. Authorities have not identified the matches covered by the investigation, the amounts wagered, the winnings generated or whether any of the betting activity corresponded with events on the pitch.

No court has ruled that a match was manipulated, and none of the suspects has been convicted of the offences under investigation. The information released so far shows that legal action was initiated on the basis of betting records, MASAK financial analyses and suspected links between the wagers and the clubs involved.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the betting data, financial findings and other evidence were being assessed together. The illegal betting and match-fixing investigation remains ongoing, with further judicial decisions expected after police questioning and evidence reviews are completed.