September 30 – The head of Turkey’s refereeing body has been arrested in a police investigation into corruption.
Ferhat Gundogdu, president of the body of referees, was arrested along with his vice president and five other people. Police searched homes, workplaces and offices.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said the investigation is focused on “claims of interference in the formation of classifications, allocations, scoring processes and the appointment of referees, as well as rules examinations”.
Gündogdu, the chairman of the Central Committee of Referees (MHK), is accused of bullying and coercive behavior towards his peers and forging official documents.
The General Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul started the investigation after a complaint from a victim. The investigation covers serious allegations including workplace harassment, official forgery, leaking of referee exam questions and illegal acquisition of personal data.
A coordinated police-led operation hit targets in four provinces, centered on Istanbul, following extensive technical surveillance, a financial analysis by MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) and expert reports.
The seven people arrested include: MHK President Ferhat Gündoğdu, MHK Vice President Ahmet Şahin, MHK Member and TFF Education Coordinator Sebahattin Şahin, former MHK Member Yunus Yıldırım, Ferdi Karadoruk, President of the Active Football Referees Association and Istanbul Observers Association Manager of TFFHGD Istanbul, Emre Kosif – Head of the Board Provincial of Istanbul Arbitrators
As part of the evidence collected in the file, leaked WhatsApp messages between senior arbitration officials surfaced. The chats revealed coercive discussions about referee choices, including phrases such as “Let’s take all four off the list” followed by “Cut his head off, let him go.”
The investigation also highlights serious irregularities surrounding the official standards exam conducted at TFF’s Riva facility in 2025. Expert assessments allege that test questions were leaked to favored individuals and that final score sheets were illegally altered.
Numerous active and retired Süper Lig referees have been summoned to give witness statements to the Istanbul Police Prefecture to assist the ongoing investigation.
Commenting on the operation, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stressed that no individual has privileges above the law.
“Football is a shared passion and a vital value for our citizens. Fair competition on the field of play and neutral and transparent refereeing processes are the basis of trust in football. Our state acts decisively against any allegations of crime that undermine this trust,” Gürlek said.
Gürlek confirmed that judicial searches were carried out at the residences and offices of the suspects, reiterating the government’s commitment to clean up football and bring those responsible to justice.
Turkish soccer referees have been in the spotlight before. In November 2025, the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistants after an investigation found that hundreds of professional match officials had betting accounts. Twenty-nine people were arrested in that scandal, 14 of them players.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, a (email protected)
