Turkey suspends 448 club officials in betting probe

Oct 1 - Turkey's soccer federation has provisionally suspended 448 current and former club officials, including Trabzonspor President Ertugrul Dogan and Besiktas Vice-President Hakan Daltaban, as part of a sweeping investigation into betting.

The suspended officials, who served at clubs in the country's two highest divisions during the 2026-27 season, were found to have placed bets whilst in office over the past five years, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said in a statement.

All 448 have been referred to the federation’s disciplinary committee.

Media reports said the list published by the TFF on Wednesday included about 171 officials who had served at clubs in the top-flight Super Lig.

Dogan said he previously held a betting account and had disclosed it to the authorities.

"These companies sponsored clubs and held launch events. Nobody thought this would cause problems... if we made a mistake, we apologise, but we have done nothing wrong," Dogan told broadcaster A Spor.

Reuters has contacted Trabzonspor and Besiktas seeking comment from the clubs, Dogan and Daltaban.

The TFF has tightened its oversight of betting since a scandal rocked Turkish soccer last year. The federation suspended about 149 referees and 1,024 players for various periods of time as part of the investigation.

Several top-tier players and high-ranking club officials were then jailed in a crackdown on illegal betting and match-fixing in the country's professional leagues.

In a separate investigation, Turkey detained the head and six members of its main soccer referee board on Tuesday over accusations of interference in refereeing procedures. REUTERS