Turkish referees chief arrested: Turkish football has been hit by a fresh refereeing investigation after Central Referee Board chairman Ferhat Gündoğdu and six other officials were detained in an operation across four provinces.
The latest development has put the spotlight back on the administration of referees in Turkish football. Ferhat Gündoğdu, who heads the Central Referee Board (MHK) under the Turkish Football Federation, was among seven people taken into custody on Tuesday, September 29.
According to reports from Turkey, the investigation is examining allegations surrounding the way referees are classified, appointed and assessed. Authorities are also looking into claims involving referee examinations and official documents.
Turkish referees chief arrested as investigation expands
The operation was carried out simultaneously in Istanbul, Ankara, Elazığ and Manisa. Turkish authorities said the investigation involved information gathered from complainants and witnesses, expert reports, telecommunications records and financial data examined by MASAK, Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board.
Gündoğdu was detained along with six other people connected to the refereeing structure. The group includes TFF Active Referees Association president Ferdi Karadoruk, former MHK vice-president Ahmet Şahin, former MHK member Yunus Yıldırım, MHK member Sebahattin Şahin, Alican Sağlar and Emre Kosif.
The case reportedly began after a complaint was made in September 2025. Investigators subsequently examined material and testimony relating to the allegations before Tuesday’s operation.
It is important to stress that being detained as part of an investigation does not mean the individuals have been found guilty of a crime. The legal process is still ongoing.
What are the allegations against the referee officials?
Justice Minister Akin Gürlek said authorities were examining claims of interference in several important parts of the refereeing system.
Those areas include the formation of referee classifications, match appointments, scoring procedures, appointment processes and rule examinations.
Reports from Turkish media have also described allegations involving workplace bullying, or mobbing, and official-document forgery. Some reports have provided more specific allegations from complainants, including claims that certain referees were removed from classifications without objective reasons, denied match appointments or treated differently from other officials.
There are also claims that referee and observer lists prepared in previous years may have been altered improperly and that there was interference connected to a rule examination.
These remain allegations being investigated by the authorities rather than established facts.
The investigation is therefore significant because referee classification and appointment systems can directly affect who officiates professional matches. Any proven manipulation of such procedures could raise wider questions about transparency and confidence in Turkish football.
Seven people taken into custody
The seven people reported to have been detained are:
- Ferhat Gündoğdu – MHK chairman
- Ferdi Karadoruk – TFF Active Referees Association president
- Ahmet Şahin – former MHK vice-president
- Yunus Yıldırım – former MHK member
- Sebahattin Şahin – MHK member and TFF Education and 4th Region official
- Alican Sağlar – Istanbul branch organisational official
- Emre Kosif – Istanbul Provincial Referee Board chairman
Searches were also carried out at homes, workplaces and offices as part of the investigation.
The arrests have attracted considerable attention because Gündoğdu is not a peripheral figure in Turkish football. As chairman of the MHK, he is involved in the structure responsible for the country’s professional refereeing system.
Akin Gurlek calls for ‘clean football’
Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gürlek addressed the operation and said authorities would continue their efforts to protect confidence in Turkish football.
Gürlek said allegations affecting referee classifications, appointments, scoring and rule examinations needed to be investigated. He also stressed the importance of football being associated with competition, sporting effort and sportsmanship.
The comments come at a sensitive time for Turkish football, with questions about refereeing and integrity having already attracted major attention over the past year.
For the authorities, the immediate task is to establish whether the allegations are supported by evidence and whether any offences were committed.
Is this connected to the 2025 Turkish betting scandal?
The timing of the latest investigation is likely to remind many football fans of the major betting scandal that hit Turkish football in 2025.
In November last year, the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees following an investigation into betting accounts. Reports at the time said the wider investigation examined hundreds of professional match officials.
However, there is an important distinction between the two cases.
The latest investigation is focused on alleged interference in referee classifications, assignments, scoring, appointments and rule examinations. Justice Minister Gürlek did not establish a connection between Tuesday’s operation and the previous betting investigation. Reuters also reported no immediate link between the two cases.
That means it would be premature to treat the latest operation as a continuation of the betting scandal unless investigators or prosecutors establish such a connection.
What happens next?
The seven suspects have been taken into custody while the investigation continues. Authorities are expected to examine evidence gathered during the searches and assess statements, financial records, telecommunications data and other material collected during the case.
The biggest question now is whether the allegations can be supported by evidence and whether prosecutors eventually bring formal charges.
For Turkish football, the case could have wider implications because confidence in refereeing depends heavily on transparent classification, fair appointments and consistent assessment.
For now, however, the investigation remains at an early stage. The allegations against the officials should not be treated as proven wrongdoing until the relevant legal process reaches a conclusion.
The phrase Turkish referees chief arrested is already drawing attention because of Gündoğdu’s position at the centre of the country’s refereeing structure. With the investigation continuing, more details could emerge about the claims, the evidence collected and whether any further officials become involved.
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