The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has suspended 149 referees accused of betting on football matches, the federation announced on Friday.
In a statement, the TFF said its disciplinary committee issued suspensions ranging from eight to twelve months, adding that investigations are ongoing into three additional referees.
The action follows an investigation involving 571 referees across Turkish professional leagues. The probe, revealed on Monday, found that 371 referees had sports betting accounts, with 152 actively placing bets.
“Refereeing is a profession of honour,” TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said on Thursday.
“Anyone who tarnishes that honour…will never again be involved in Turkish football.”
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According to the TFF, 22 of the suspended officials—seven match referees and 15 assistants—serve in the top league.
The federation noted that ten referees placed more than 10,000 bets each, including one referee who placed 18,227 bets, while 42 referees each bet on over 1,000 football matches.
However, the TFF did not clarify whether any were suspected of betting on matches they officiated.
Separately, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office has also launched an investigation into the matter.
