Over 1,000 Players Suspended in Turkey’s Football for Betting

Turkish authorities arrested eight individuals, including top-tier club chairman Murat Ozkaya, on November 10 as part of an investigation into alleged betting on football matches. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 1,024 players across all leagues pending disciplinary review.

Earlier this month, the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after its investigation found officials in the country’s professional leagues were involved in betting.

Anadolu news agency reported that the court issued the arrests of Ozkaya and seven others as part of the probe.

Super Lig Players Among Those Suspended

The TFF said 1,024 players were referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Council (PFDK), including 27 from the Super Lig, among them athletes from champions Galatasaray and rivals Besiktas

«Due to the precautionary transfer of 1,024 players to the PFDK, urgent talks have been started with Fifa to allow a 15-day transfer and registration period at the national level to help clubs fill squad gaps during the 2025-2026 winter transfer window,» the TFF said.

Matches in the second- and third-tier leagues have been suspended for two weeks. Local media reported that the TFF board will hold an extraordinary meeting at 2pm GMT on November 11.

TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu described the situation as a «moral crisis in Turkish football». The federation’s investigation revealed that 371 of 571 active referees in professional leagues held betting accounts, with 152 actively gambling. One referee placed 18,227 bets, and 42 referees bet on more than 1,000 matches each. Others were found to have bet only once.