Turkey betting probe has widened significantly after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) provisionally suspended 448 current and former club officials over alleged betting violations. Prominent names are Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan, Besiktas vice-president Hakan Daltaban. The referees, according to TFF, were active in the top two divisions of their country and were caught betting at the clubs where they were employed over the last five years. The investigation is ongoing and all 448 officials are being referred to the federation’s disciplinary committee.
Around 171 of those named were affiliated with clubs that are playing in the top-flight Super Lig, media reports said. Dogan stated that he once had a betting account but that he had informed the authorities in charge of that. The president of Trabzonspor, who has been interviewed by broadcaster A Spor, said betting firms had sponsored clubs and organised launching parties and that he was not in the wrong. This is the newest punishment that has been issued against this type of sportsbook in the wake of a heightened campaign by the Turkish football authorities to tackle betting-related issues.
The TFF has stepped up its enforcement after a significant scandal last year which saw the suspension of approximately 149 referees and 1,024 players for varying terms of suspension. As part of the broader enforcement effort, several high-profile footballers and senior figures have reportedly been arrested and jailed for sports betting and match-fixing scandals in professional football.
Turkish police are also probing the matter of the referee. On Tuesday, the head and six of the country’s top referee board were arrested, allegedly for interfering with the referees’ processes. The latest suspensions come on top of a huge pile of fines levied against Turkish football and may open the door for additional punishments as the football federation reviews the suspensions.
