Turkish referees' chief arrested in corruption investigation

The head of the Turkish referees' body has been arrested as part of a police investigation into corruption.

Turkish justice minister Akin Gurlek said the investigation focused on "claims regarding interference in the formation of referee classifications, assignments, scoring and appointment processes, as well as rule examinations".

Ferhat Gundogdu, the president of the refereeing body, his vice-president and another five people are those arrested.

Gurlek said police also searched homes, workplaces and offices.

"We will resolutely continue our fight for clean football so that allegations damaging trust in Turkish football are brought to light, those responsible are held accountable before the law, and football is associated with the effort, competition and sportsmanship on the pitch," Gurlek said.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said police inspected the VAR room at its headquarters in Istanbul on Tuesday.

The federation denied reports that digital material had been deleted before the inspection and subsequently recovered by police.

It said it was cooperating with investigators and would file criminal complaints over false reports and social media posts.

In November 2025 the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees and assistant referees after an investigation found hundreds of professional match officials in the country had betting accounts.

Some 29 people were arrested in the sprawling scandal, including 14 footballers.

However, Gurlek did not make any link between last year's betting scandal and the current investigation.