Chairman of the football federation's Central Refereeing Committee detained in Turkey

Ferhat Gündoğdu, chairman of the Central Refereeing Committee (MHK) of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), has been detained as part of an investigation coordinated by the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office, along with six other people, including current and former employees of the TFF's refereeing structures.

This was reported by authoritative Turkish media.

Those detained face charges of psychological pressure on subordinates and forgery of official documents. It is reported that the operation was carried out simultaneously in four provinces — Istanbul, Ankara, Elazığ, and Manisa.

In addition to Gündoğdu, those detained include the president of the TFF Active Referees Association, Ferdi Karadoruk, former deputy chairman of the MHK Ahmet Şahin, former MHK member Yunus Yıldırım, MHK member Sebahattin Şahin, as well as representatives of refereeing associations Alican Sağlar and Emre Kosif.

It is noted that the investigation was launched on September 15 of last year on the basis of a victim's complaint.

In the course of the investigation, open sources, data from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and HTS records (data on subscribers' locations), as well as witness testimony and expert opinions, were examined.

Later, in September 2025, the TFF publicly denied information about Gündoğdu that had appeared in the media, stating that he "is in his post and is continuing to work," and urged the public not to trust "speculative" reports.

The fight against corruption in Turkish football

The current detention is part of a large-scale campaign against corruption and match-fixing in Turkish football that unfolded in 2026. In July, Turkish authorities detained 17 club officials as part of an investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing.

A review of data from legal bookmaking platforms for 2020–2026 showed that the suspects placed bets while holding official positions, including on matches involving their own teams. Among those detained were also former executives of the Istanbul clubs Galatasaray and Beşiktaş.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated that the fight against illegal betting, match-fixing, and organized crime will continue "resolutely."