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Turkey’s football community has been plunged into crisis after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 1,024 players across all professional divisions amid a far-reaching investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing.
The scandal, which has already led to arrests and the postponement of lower-league matches, represents one of the most extensive integrity crises in Turkish football history.
According to the TFF, players identified as having bet on football, including 27 from the top-flight Super Lig, have been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) pending disciplinary action. “Due to the precautionary transfer of 1,024 football players to the PFDK, negotiations have been initiated urgently with Fifa to grant a 15-day transfer and registration period in addition to the 2025-2026 winter transfer period, only at the national level, in order for clubs to complete their squad deficiencies,” the federation said.
In light of the suspensions, all matches in the third and fourth divisions have been halted for two weeks. Fixtures in the Super Lig and second tier, however, will proceed as scheduled.
The TFF has formally requested permission from FIFA to extend the domestic transfer window by 15 days so clubs can replenish their squads. Football’s governing body has not yet commented on the request.
Besiktas confirmed that two of their players were among those referred to the disciplinary board, stating they have “full faith” in the pair’s innocence. Local reports said eight individuals, including a top-tier club chairman, have been detained as part of the probe.
The controversy first erupted on 27 October, when TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu revealed that hundreds of referees were implicated in betting activity. Haciosmanoglu claimed that of the 571 referees registered in Turkey’s professional leagues, 371 held betting accounts and 152 were actively gambling. He said the group included seven referees and 15 assistants from the top two divisions, along with dozens more from the levels below.
The scale of the misconduct, he added, was staggering: ten referees had placed more than 10,000 bets, one placed 18,227, and 142 had wagered on over 1,000 matches. “Our duty is to elevate Turkish football to its rightful place and to purge it of all its filth,” Haciosmanoglu said at a press conference.
Referees, players, and coaches are all barred from betting under TFF, UEFA, and FIFA regulations.
The scandal has now reached Turkey’s national team. Defender Eren Elmali, a regular starter for Galatasaray and the national side, was withdrawn from international duty after his name appeared among the suspended players.
Elmali later posted a statement on Instagram acknowledging he had once placed a bet: he said he “bet on a game about five years ago that did not involve his own team.” The 25-year-old, who joined Galatasaray this year, is one of two players from the club, alongside Metehan Baltaci, referred to the disciplinary commission.
The TFF’s investigation has revealed what its president described as a “moral crisis in Turkish football.” One referee reportedly placed more than 18,000 bets, and dozens of others bet on thousands of games each.
Despite the turmoil, Turkish football remains on the international stage. The country is preparing to co-host the 2032 European Championship with Italy, while Istanbul is set to stage several major UEFA finals in the coming years.
Yet the growing scandal threatens to overshadow those achievements, as authorities attempt to root out what has become one of the most damaging betting investigations in European football.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels / Omar Ramadan, Unsplash / Salah Darwish
