Turkey provisionally suspends 448 club officials in betting probe

Turkey’s football federation has provisionally suspended 448 current and former club officials as part of an investigation into betting. The group includes Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan and Besiktas vice-president Hakan Daltaban.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said the officials had placed bets while in office over the past five years. They had served at clubs in the country’s two highest divisions during the 2026-27 season, and all 448 have been referred to the federation’s disciplinary committee.

Top-flight officials on the list

Media reports said about 171 people on the list published by the TFF on Wednesday had served at clubs in the top-flight Super Lig. The federation’s action covers both current and former officials, with Dogan and Daltaban among the names identified.

Dogan said he had previously held a betting account and had disclosed it to the authorities. Speaking to broadcaster A Spor, he said companies had sponsored clubs and held launch events, and that nobody thought this would cause problems.

“Nobody thought this would cause problems… if we made a mistake, we apologise, but we have done nothing wrong,” Dogan said. Reuters has contacted Trabzonspor and Besiktas seeking comment from the clubs, Dogan and Daltaban.

Wider betting investigation

The suspensions follow tighter TFF oversight of betting since a scandal in Turkish football last year. As part of the investigation, the federation suspended about 149 referees and 1,024 players for various periods.

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

What happens next

The 448 officials now face the federation’s disciplinary committee following their provisional suspensions. The TFF’s statement said they had placed bets while in office; Dogan, for his part, has acknowledged previously having an account but said he had disclosed it and denied wrongdoing.

Separately, Turkey detained the head and six members of its main football referee board on Tuesday over accusations of interference in refereeing procedures. That case is a separate investigation from the betting probe involving the club officials.