The president of Turkey’s refereeing body, Ferhat Gundogdu, has been arrested as part of a police investigation into alleged corruption involving the classification, assignment, scoring, and appointment of football referees, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek confirmed.
Gundogdu, his vice-president, and five other individuals were detained as part of the operation. Police also searched homes, workplaces, and offices connected to the investigation. Gurlek outlined the scope of the inquiry in a statement, saying it focused on “claims regarding interference in the formation of referee classifications, assignments, scoring and appointment processes, as well as rule examinations.” He vowed the authorities would continue their efforts to clean up Turkish football.
“We will resolutely continue our fight for clean football so that allegations damaging trust in Turkish football are brought to light, those responsible are held accountable before the law, and football is associated with the effort, competition and sportsmanship on the pitch,” Gurlek said.
The arrests come less than a year after Turkish football was rocked by a separate but equally serious scandal. In November 2025, the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees. This came after an investigation found hundreds of match officials had betting accounts.
Twenty-nine people were arrested in that case, including 14 professional footballers. However, Gurlek did not draw any explicit connection between the two investigations.
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