Turkish police have raided the home of Fenerbahce captain Mert Hakan Yandaş as part of a major investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing in Turkish football.
Istanbul prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 46 people, including 29 footballers, early on Friday. Yandaş, 31, is accused of placing illegal bets through someone else, and reports in Turkey say he has already been taken into custody.
Another big name arrested is Metehan Baltacı, a 23-year-old Galatasaray defender, who is accused of betting on games involving his own team. He had already received a nine-month ban from the Turkish FA.
Players in Turkey are strictly banned from betting on football for integrity reasons, and authorities say 27 of the 29 arrested players bet on matches their own teams were involved in.
Police say 35 of the 46 suspects have already been detained, and they are still searching for the others, with five believed to be outside the country.
The investigation also involves several club executives and coaches. They are suspected of fixing the result of a match between Ankaraspor and Nazilli Belediyespor in April 2024. Another six people are accused of trying to fix a game between Ümraniyespor and Giresunspor in December 2023.
Other accused individuals include former club president Murat Sancak, well-known former referee–turned-commentator Ahmet Çakar, his wife, and top-flight referee Zorbay Küçük, who is under investigation for suspicious money movements.
This comes after the Turkish FA suspended over 1,000 players in November for alleged betting violations.
Galatasaray currently sit top of the Turkish league, one point ahead of rivals Fenerbahce.
