Turkey suspends over 1,000 footballers in ongoing gambling scandal

Ankara: Turkey has suspended over a thousand football players as part of an ongoing investigation into a gambling scandal.

According to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), a total of 1,024 players have been suspended following an investigation initiated by the Professional Football Board’s Disciplinary Committee.

Among those suspended, 27 players are from top division clubs.

In addition, matches in Turkey’s third and fourth divisions have been suspended for two weeks, while fixtures in the second division will continue as normal.

This scandal, which has rocked Turkish football in recent weeks, involves allegations of gambling by both referees and players.

The issue first came to light last month when the TFF suspended 149 referees and assistant referees for their involvement in gambling activities.

A government report revealed that out of 571 referees in Turkey, 371 had accounts with gambling companies, and 152 referees had placed bets on football matches, including 7 top-level referees and 15 assistant referees.

Last week, arrest warrants were issued for 21 individuals, including 17 referees and the president of a Super League club.

Reports confirm that 8 individuals, including a club chairman, were arrested on Monday.

TFF President Ibrahim Haji Osman condemned the ongoing corruption in Turkish football, calling it an “ethical crisis,” and vowed to eradicate all forms of corruption from the sport.