20 People Arrested in Turkey Over Football Betting and Match-Fixing Probe

A major investigation into illegal football betting and alleged match-fixing in Turkey has led to the arrest of 20 people, including high-profile names such as Mert Hakan Yandaş, Metehan Baltacı and former club president Murat Sancak. Financial intelligence reports, large-scale money movements and bets placed on specific match events are at the centre of the probe.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a wide-ranging investigation into illegal betting and possible match manipulation in Turkish football. Following detention orders issued for 46 suspects, 20 of them have now been formally arrested by a criminal court of peace. Among those arrested are Fenerbahçe midfielder Mert Hakan Yandaş, Galatasaray defender Metehan Baltacı and Murat Sancak, the former president of Adana Demirspor.

According to the case file, prosecutors are looking into millions of lira in suspicious money transfers, alleged use of illegal betting platforms and bets placed on “special markets” linked to specific matches and player actions. Reports prepared by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) are described as key elements shaping the direction of the investigation.

Full List of Arrested Suspects in the Turkey Betting Scandal

Authorities say the list of those arrested in connection with the illegal betting and match-fixing allegations is now clear. After being questioned by prosecutors, the suspects were brought before a court, which ordered their arrest and transfer to prison pending trial. The case spans professional footballers, club officials and individuals allegedly linked to the betting network.

The 20 people arrested are:

• Ahmet Okatan

• Emrah Çelik

• Yunus Emre Tekoğul

• İzzet Furkan Malak

• Bartu Kaya

• Mert Hakan Yandaş

• Orkun Özdemir

• Kadir Kaan Yurdakul

• Faruk Can Genç

• Metehan Baltacı

• Ersen Dikmen

• Kerem Yusuf Sirkeci

• Murat Sancak

• Emircan Çiçek

• Gürhan Sünmez

• Alassane Ndao

• Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu

• Volkan Erten

• Şahin Kaya

• Ümit Kaya

According to publicly available information, the arrest orders were issued within the scope of illegal betting and, for some suspects, bets linked directly to football matches. MASAK reports submitted to prosecutors point to significant money flows associated with several of the names on the list.

Additionally several other suspects who were not among the 20 individuals ordered to be arrested were released under judicial supervision. This group includes senior referee Zorbay Küçük.

Key Allegations: What Turkish Prosecutors Are Investigating

Based on the investigation file, the allegations against the suspects cover individual betting activities, financial transactions and possible links to specific matches. Prosecutors are combining MASAK’s financial analysis reports with digital evidence to build individual case files for each suspect.

The main lines of inquiry include:

• Illegal betting activity
  Prosecutors allege that some footballers and other suspects carried out transactions through illegal betting websites. Case documents refer to unusually high volumes of money movements in certain accounts, which investigators believe may be connected to these platforms.

• Bets tied to specific football matches
  For some suspects, authorities are looking into claims that they placed bets related to their own teams’ matches, or that they may be linked to bets on “special markets” such as number of fouls, bookings or other player-specific events. These points remain allegations at this stage and will be tested in court.

• Money transfers between suspects
  MASAK reports highlight noticeable flows of money between several of the individuals under investigation, including repeated transfers within short time frames. Investigators are examining whether these transfer chains match patterns typically seen in illegal betting operations. There is no final judicial ruling yet that all of these transactions constitute criminal activity; for now, they are treated as suspicious and are under review.

• Possible organised structure (not applied to every suspect)
  In parts of the file, authorities consider whether some suspects might have acted in coordination, suggesting a structured network behind the betting activities. However, this assessment does not apply to all of the arrested individuals—each suspect’s role is being examined separately.

What the Suspects Say: Defences and Reactions

Those arrested in the Turkish betting investigation have rejected the accusations in their statements to prosecutors. According to information reported in the media, their main lines of defence can be summarised as follows:

• Mert Hakan Yandaş

  • Denies involvement in illegal betting.

  • Says the money transfers in question were personal loans and repayments within his circle of friends, not linked to a betting scheme.

  • States that he does not hold accounts on betting websites and that the allegations do not reflect the truth.

  • Admits that in the past he played slot games on an illegal site with friends for a short period, but claims this was brief and not part of an organised betting operation.

• Metehan Baltacı

  • Says he may have placed small-stake bets on a licensed platform in the past.

  • Insists he has never bet on his own matches or taken part in any activity that would amount to match-fixing.

  • States that he currently has no connection to illegal betting.

• Murat Sancak

  • States he has no account on any betting site and denies taking part in betting activities.

  • Says the money movements associated with him stem from his business activities, not from illegal gambling.

  • Describes the accusations against him as baseless.

• Ersen Dikmen

  • Denies the allegations and says the money transfers linked to his name are personal transactions, not part of a criminal network.

• Alassane Ndao

  • Rejects the betting claims, arguing that the way his name appears in the investigation is based on misinterpretation of the data.

• Ahmet Okatan, Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu and other suspects

  • Deny having any role in illegal betting operations.

  • Argue that their financial transactions are lawful and personal in nature.

  • Maintain that the accusations in the investigation file do not reflect their actual activities.

MASAK Report: Financial Red Flags in Turkey’s Betting Case

One of the most critical elements of the Turkey betting investigation is the MASAK report, which details extensive financial analysis of the suspects’ bank accounts. According to media reports based on this document, the Turkish financial watchdog identified unusual transaction volumes, large sums moving in and out of certain accounts and patterns that resemble the flow of funds in illegal betting schemes.

Figures attributed to key suspects in media reports include:

• Mert Hakan Yandaş

  • MASAK’s analysis, as reported in Turkish media, claims that accounts attributed to Yandaş recorded
    around 974 transactions with approximately 204 million TRY flowing in, and
    3,747 transactions with around 207 million TRY flowing out.

  • The high frequency and volume of these movements over time are described as “unusual financial activity” and flagged for further investigation.

• Murat Sancak

  • Media accounts of the MASAK report state that bank accounts linked to Sancak showed
    1,157 transactions with roughly 1.226 billion TRY in inflows, and
    8,799 transactions with about 1.197 billion TRY in outflows.

  • These figures are cited in the case file under the heading of “high-volume money traffic” subject to closer scrutiny.

• Ersen Dikmen

  • Reports say that certain transfers involving Dikmen intersect with transactions made by other suspects and that repeated series of payments appear within similar time windows.

  • These movements are said to have been classified by MASAK as “suspicious transactions”.

• Alassane Ndao, Ahmet Okatan and Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu

  • Media coverage of the MASAK findings notes that accounts associated with these names show multiple transfers of varying amounts, with some of the activity overlapping in time with transactions linked to other arrested suspects.

  • The report refers to these patterns as “recurrent transaction cycles”, which have been highlighted for further evaluation.