The president of the Central Committee of Referees of the Turkish Football Federation, Ferhat Gündoğdu, has been detained alongside six other suspects in an investigation into alleged refereeing irregularities, Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on Tuesday.
The vice-president of the Central Committee of Referees is also among those taken into custody, along with five other suspects. Police carried out coordinated raids across four provinces, searching the residences, workplaces, and offices of those targeted in the operation, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
The investigation focuses on allegations of interference in the compilation of referee rankings, match appointments, referee grading and nomination processes, and the revision of refereeing rules, Gürlek said.
The Central Committee of Referees, known as the MHK, is the internal body within the Turkish Football Federation responsible for managing match officials, setting performance grades, and making refereeing appointments across Turkey's professional football leagues.
Scope of the criminal investigation
The probe was initiated by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office and relies on financial audits conducted by the Financial Crimes Investigation Department, known as Masak, alongside telecommunications records, witness testimonies, and expert reports, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported.
Investigators also accuse the suspects of producing fraudulent documents and carrying out systematic intimidation practices within the refereeing structure, according to the paper.
Previous referee gambling probe
The arrests follow a separate betting scandal roughly a year ago, when the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees for betting on matches in violation of rules, handing down bans ranging from eight to 12 months.
An investigation conducted by the federation into 571 referees in Turkish professional leagues revealed that 371 had accounts on sports betting platforms, with 152 actively placing bets. The inquiry identified 22 top-flight referees involved in betting, including seven main referees and 15 assistant referees.
Justice Minister Gürlek did not establish any connection between the current corruption investigation and the earlier referee betting case.
Gürlek said authorities would firmly continue the fight for clean football so that allegations undermining trust in Turkish football were clarified and those responsible brought to justice.
