Turkey Imprisons 20 Suspects over Wide-Spread Gambling Corruption

A Turkish court has ordered that 20 suspects, among whom are top-flight soccer players from the Super Lig, be sent to prison as the trial is still pending.

Turkey Keeps Pressure on Top-Ranking Soccer Insiders Suspected of Placing Bets

They are among the people suspected of having abused their positions in order to secure betting outcomes in what is one of the biggest scandals to have seized the professional sport in Turkey.

However, violations are spreading well across second-tier leagues, with hundreds of referees potentially involved and gambling habitually on games. The 20 jailed suspects are part of 46 people arrested last week. Thousands of players have faced disciplinary actions or have been suspended, messing up the transfer window.

Prominent figures from the sport, such as Galatasaray player Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahce player Mert Hakan Yandas, as well as former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak, have all been arrested and jailed, suggesting that all levels of the sport have been impacted by a deeply-rooted culture of gambling.

This is not to suggest that referees and players have colluded to influence outcomes, as there is a cultural nuance to this practice in Turkey, where gambling in this off-hand manner is normalized and a public secret.

Investigators are still looking closely into whether the case involves corruption and match-fixing, or concerns players and high-ranking members of professional soccer in Turkey pushing the boundaries of socially acceptable behavior.

The latest development comes after Turkey suspended 149 referees and assistants over their gambling practices.