Turkish authorities have arrested eight people on Monday, including the chairman of a top-tier football club, during an expanding investigation into illegal betting on matches.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) also suspended 1,024 players across all leagues while disciplinary proceedings move forward.
Earlier this month, the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after investigators discovered that officials working in Turkey’s professional leagues were betting on football matches.
A foreign news agency reported that a court ordered the arrest of Eyupspor chairman Murat Özkaya along with seven others. Eyupspor compete in the Turkish Super Lig. The club did not immediately comment on the development.
In a statement, the TFF said it referred 1,024 players to the Professional Football Disciplinary Council (PFDK), including 27 players from the Super Lig. All 27 have been suspended. The list includes players from defending champions Galatasaray and Istanbul club Besiktas.
The federation said, “Due to the precautionary transfer of 1,024 football players to the PFDK, negotiations have been initiated urgently with Fifa to grant a 15-day transfer and registration period in addition to the 2025-2026 winter transfer period, only at the national level, in order for clubs to complete their squad deficiencies.”
The TFF also suspended matches in the second- and third-tier leagues for two weeks. Local media reported that the TFF board will hold an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday at 2pm GMT.
Fifa has not responded to a Reuters request for comment regarding the investigation or Turkey’s request for an additional transfer window.
TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu has called the situation a “moral crisis in Turkish football”. The federation’s internal investigation revealed that 371 of Turkey’s 571 active referees had betting accounts. Among them, 152 were actively placing bets.
Investigators found one referee had placed bets 18,227 times. Forty-two referees had bet on more than 1,000 matches each, while others were discovered to have bet only once.