Turkish referees' chief arrested in corruption investigation
The head of Turkey's referees' committee is detained along with six others as part of an investigation into corruption. head of Turkey’s referees committee, is among seven people detained in an investigation into alleged mobbing and document forgery
The president of Turkey's refereeing body, Ferhat Gundogdu, has been arrested as part of a corruption investigation, according to the Turkish justice minister. The probe focuses on allegations of interference in the creation of referee classifications, assignments, scoring and appointment processes, as well as rule examinations.
In addition to Gundogdu, his vice-president and four others were taken into custody. The minister also revealed that police conducted searches at various locations, including homes, workplaces and offices. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees and assistant referees in November 2025 after an investigation uncovered that hundreds of match officials had betting accounts.
Thirty-nine people were arrested in that scandal, including 14 footballers. However, the minister did not draw any connections between the previous betting scandal and the current investigation.
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