Turkish Football Rocked by Betting Scandal: Galatasaray and Fenerbahce Players Arrested

Turkish court jails 20 suspects, including Galatasaray's Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahce's Mert Hakan Yandas, pending trial in widening football betting investigation.

“For years, the problems of Turkish football have been swept under the carpet...” 

A Turkish court has jailed 20 suspects, including Galatasaray player Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahce player Mert Hakan Yandas, pending trial in a widening football betting investigation. The probe is comparable to previous match-fixing scandals in countries like China, South Korea, and Italy.

The investigation has led to the arrest of former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak, along with Baltaci and Yandas. The Turkish Football Federation has suspended 149 referees and 1,024 players, and an additional eight people, including a top-tier club chairman, have been arrested.

Turkish Football Federation Chairman Speaks Out on Betting Scandal

“For years, the problems of Turkish football have been swept under the carpet,” Turkish Football Federation Chairman Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu told a press conference. He added that “such disgraceful decisions have been made, such crimes covered up, and the sole responsibility for our current situation is a lack of will.”

The Turkish Football Federation's investigation may expand to include match observers, coaches, managers, and others involved in football, pending data from Spor Toto, the state-run sports betting organisation, according to Chairman Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu.

“The data hasn't yet arrived. We want the public to know that we will take appropriate action when it does,” he said.

At a hearing on Monday, Baltaci told the court that he had placed bets on a few matches when he was a youth team player and had not done so after he joined the Galatasaray first team, according to Anadolu news agency.

Fenerbahce’s Yandas was cited by Sabah newspaper as saying in his court testimony that he denied involvement in gambling on matches. 

Official Statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding to ongoing betting investigation;

46 people including 27 players were taken custody.
Here some of them .👇

❌Metehan Baltaci, Galatasaray
❌Mert Hakan Yandaş, Fenerbahçe
❌Ahmet Çakar, Former… pic.twitter.com/HGvJd803uN

— Turkish Football Soccer (@soccer_turkish) December 5, 2025

Former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak told the court he didn't have a gambling account and never placed bets on matches, according to Cumhuriyet newspaper. Representatives of the players and Sancak couldn't be reached for comment.

Turkey's football federation has taken drastic measures to address the betting scandal, suspending 149 referees and assistants last month after an investigation revealed they were betting on games. This move was followed by the arrest of eight individuals, including a top-tier club chairman, and the suspension of 1,024 players across all leagues, with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) imposing bans on them.

The investigation has led to the jailing of 20 suspects, including Galatasaray player Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahce player Mert Hakan Yandas, pending trial. The TFF chairman, Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, has vowed to clean up Turkish football, describing the situation as the “largest integrity crisis in modern Turkish football.”

The scandal has rocked Turkish football, with prosecutors investigating alleged insider betting and match-fixing. The TFF has pledged to take action based on additional data from Turkey's state-run sports betting organisation, Spor Toto. The investigation's scope is comparable to previous match-fixing scandals in countries like China, South Korea, and Italy.