Turkish Fa Bans 102 Players In Betting Probe

Turkey's Football Federation has fixed bans to 102 players from its apical 2 divisions for "betting-related activities".

The punishments were of varying lengths, ranging from 3 months to 12 months, and see Galatasaray players Eren Elmali and Metehan Baltaci.

Elmali was banned for 45 days, while Baltaci was handed a nine-month ban.

The rulings by nan Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) successful Turkey go last aft nan seven-day entreaty play expires.

The disciplinary action comes aft nan TFF suspended 1,024 players from its master leagues connected Tuesday arsenic portion of an investigation into betting.

Following nan move, matches successful nan 3rd and 4th divisions of Turkish shot were postponed for 2 weeks.

"I want to make it clear that nan logic my sanction appears successful this record is because, astir 5 years ago, a stake was placed connected a lucifer involving my erstwhile team, without my knowledge aliases involvement," Elmali wrote successful an Instagram communicative post.

"Since that day, I person had nary relationship whatsoever to betting aliases this issue."

The ungraded initially deed nan headlines connected 27 October, erstwhile TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said hundreds of referees were linked to betting accounts.

Haciosmanoglu claimed that retired of 571 referees moving successful Turkey's master leagues, 371 had betting accounts and 152 were actively placing wagers.

He said nan group included 7 referees and 15 adjunct referees from Turkey's apical 2 divisions, arsenic good arsenic 36 "classified" referees and 94 assistants from nan level below.

The TFF president added that 10 referees each placed much than 10,000 bets. One referee placed 18,227, while 142 referees placed bets connected much than 1,000 matches. Some referees only placed a azygous bet.

Like players and coaches, lucifer officials are forbidden from participating successful betting activities by TFF regulations, arsenic good arsenic those of Fifa and European governing assemblage Uefa.

Turkish prosecutors precocious issued detention orders for 21 group - including 17 referees and 2 shot nine presidents - arsenic portion of a awesome investigation into betting and lucifer fixing.

BBC News Turkish has besides confirmed Murat Ozkaya, president of Super Lig broadside Eyupspor, has been arrested, arsenic good arsenic six referees and 1 different individual.