Turkey suspends 448 club officials in betting investigation

The Turkish Football Federation has provisionally suspended 448 current and former club officials over alleged involvement in betting, including Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan and Besiktas vice-president Hakan Daltaban.

The federation said all those suspended had been referred to its disciplinary committee after they were found to have engaged in betting activities while holding official positions at clubs in the first and second divisions during the 2026-2027 season and over the past five years.

The action represents the largest anti-corruption operation to affect Turkish football for several years and is the latest escalation in the country’s investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing.

The list published by the federation includes 171 officials who had previously worked at clubs in the Turkish Super Lig, according to local media reports cited by Reuters.

Dogan has confirmed that he previously held a betting account, but said he had disclosed it to the authorities. Speaking to Turkish television channel A Spor, the Trabzonspor president said betting companies had been involved in sponsoring clubs and organising launch events.

“These companies sponsored clubs and organised launch events. No-one expected that this would cause problems,” he said.

“If we made a mistake, we apologise, but we did not commit any wrongdoing.”

The inclusion of Dogan and Daltaban underlines the breadth of the investigation, which has now reached senior figures at two prominent Turkish clubs.

The Turkish Football Federation has intensified its scrutiny of betting since a major scandal shook the country’s game last year. That operation led to the suspension of about 149 referees and 1,024 players for varying periods.

The investigation later expanded, resulting in the imprisonment of several elite players and senior officials as part of a wider campaign against illegal betting and the manipulation of results in professional leagues.

Refereeing authorities also investigated

The case took another turn on Tuesday when Turkish authorities detained the chairman and six members of the country’s main football referees’ board.

They are accused of interfering in refereeing procedures, suggesting that the investigation could extend beyond clubs and individuals to a broader range of football institutions.

The Turkish Football Federation’s decision to refer the 448 officials to its disciplinary committee means the suspensions are temporary while the next stage of the process takes place. No further disciplinary outcomes were included in the federation’s announcement.