Türkiye: 26 suspects arrested for match=fixing.

Turkish prosecutors have announced the arrest of 26 suspects accused of match-fixing through betting, in an investigation involving 14 footballers and the former vice=president of Galatasaray, Erden Timur.

Six of the suspects are accused of  influencing the outcome of the match between Kasimpasa and Samsunspor,  held on October 26, 2024, and 14 are players implicated in “betting in order to affect the outcome of the match.

In a statement, the Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated that the analysis of seized documents and digital material obtained in the two previous operations made it possible to identify seven suspects who allegedly placed bets to “influence the outcome” of the matches.

Suspicious transactions were identified in the examined bank accounts, including “inflow and outflow of cash considered to be linked to gambling, suspicions of concealment of the origin of funds, and unusual financial transactions.

According to the Turkish Public Prosecutor’s Office, among the bank accounts examined are those of some football players, who allegedly placed bets on their own teams’ games, including on the opposing team’s victory.

The list of suspects included in the press release features players, football club and Turkish Football Federation (TFF) officials, businessmen, and a former police officer.

This is the third phase of the operation related to the investigation of sports betting.

The Turkish Football Federation, which claims it wants to  clean up Turkish football,  suspended 149 referees last month after they were found guilty of betting on matches, and referred 1,024 players to the disciplinary committee.