Turkish football has been plunged into deeper turmoil as the homes of several top-flight players, including Fenerbahce captain Mert Hakan Yandaş, were raided on Friday morning amid a sweeping investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing. The probe, centred in Istanbul but reverberating across the nation, now threatens to become one of the most damaging corruption cases in modern Turkish sporting history.
Prosecutors ordered the arrest of 46 individuals—29 of them professional footballers—as authorities escalate efforts to dismantle what they describe as an extensive network of illicit betting, third-party wagering, and deliberate manipulation of match outcomes. By mid-afternoon, 35 of the suspects had already been taken into custody, while efforts to track down the remaining 11, including five believed to be abroad, were ongoing.
At the centre of the storm is Mert Hakan Yandaş, the 31-year-old Fenerbahce midfielder who was appointed club captain in August and has made over 100 appearances for the club, including during José Mourinho’s brief reign. Yandaş is accused of placing illegal bets through a third party, a serious breach of Turkish Football Federation (TFF) regulations that prohibit all players, regardless of division, from gambling on football matches due to the potential for abuse and conflicts of interest.
Local reports say Yandaş has been detained following the search of his residence, although neither the club nor his representatives have issued any public statement. The news has sent shockwaves through Fenerbahce, who are currently embroiled in a tight title race with arch rivals Galatasaray.
Among those arrested is Galatasaray’s young centre-back Metehan Baltacı, 23, who had already been handed a nine-month suspension by the TFF for betting on his own team’s matches. His re-arrest forms part of the widening web of allegations that players across several tiers have violated strict betting prohibitions.
According to prosecutors, 27 of the 29 players detained are suspected of having placed wagers on matches in which their own clubs participated—considered one of the gravest violations in football governance due to the risk of direct influence over a result.
A statement from the prosecutor’s office signalled a determined approach: “Investigations will continue with meticulousness and determination,” it read, listing all 46 accused individuals and detailing the alleged infractions. Authorities appear steadfast in their goal of confronting the crisis head-on, despite the profile of those involved.
The scandal extends beyond players. Ankaraspor owner Ahmet Okatan and club president Mehmet Emin Katipoğlu have been implicated in alleged efforts to manipulate a match result against Nazilli Belediyespor in April 2024. Nazilli’s own club president, Şahin Kaya, and two coaches have also been named in connection with the same incident.
Separately, six individuals—including one active player—are accused of attempting to predetermine the outcome of a December 2023 fixture between Ümraniyespor and Giresunspor. Former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak has been accused of involvement in undisclosed betting-related misconduct, further demonstrating that the investigation spans multiple clubs and levels of management.
Football officials are not exempt. Former referee and television pundit Ahmet Çakar, along with his wife, has been linked to the scandal. Meanwhile, well-known Süper Lig referee Zorbay Küçük is accused of engaging in suspicious financial activity through a bank account flagged during the investigation.
This crackdown comes just weeks after the TFF issued unprecedented suspensions to more than 1,000 players over suspected betting rule breaches. TFF president Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu previously alleged that hundreds of referees had connections to betting accounts, signalling systemic issues that may have been festering beneath the surface for years.
On the pitch, Galatasaray sit atop the Süper Lig, a single point ahead of Fenerbahce after 14 matches. Off it, both clubs now find themselves unwilling protagonists in a crisis threatening the integrity of Turkish football at large. As investigators continue their sweeping inquiry, the sport faces a reckoning that could reshape its governance, credibility, and competitive landscape for years to come.
