Overview
- The chairman of the central referees committee, Ferhat Gündogdu, and six other refereeing officials were taken into custody after coordinated judicial searches across four provinces, officials said on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.
- Investigators from Istanbul’s Illegal Betting and Sports Crime Unit opened inquiries into suspected mistreatment, document forgery, breach of trust and unlawful acquisition of personal data based on complaints, witness statements, expert reports and communications and financial records.
- Authorities searched homes, workplaces and offices and seized folders, examination papers, accounting records and other files that prosecutors say form the documentary basis of the probe.
- Among the detained is Ferdi Karadoruk, head of the Association of Active Referees, and prosecutors are examining messages and notes that allege improper handling of exam questions, altered results and coercion within the refereeing system.
- Officials have not confirmed a link between this case and last year’s betting scandal that led to mass suspensions of referees, and prosecutors say the investigation will determine responsibility and aim to restore public trust in Turkish football.